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COMRADES IN NEW 
MEXICO 

OR 

THE ROUND-UP. 


BY 

RALPH VICTOR 

AUTHOR OF “THE COMRADES SERIES,” “THE LURE OF 
THE WILD,” “SOUTH SEA ISLAND STORIES,” ETC., ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED BY 

S. SCHNEIDER 




CHATTERTON-PECK COMPANY 

NEW YORK, N. Y. 



«f CONGRESS 
w: Hece'veO 

S£p 15 iy08 

CI-aA- AXC. Ne. 

6 G 1 O 

COPt A. 


■Vfct 

C(V 


COPYKIGHT 1908 

BY 

CHATTERTON-PECK CO. 



CONTENTS 


CHAPTER JAGE 

I. At the Black Dog 9 

II. A Night Alarm 17 

III. A Strange Race 26 

IV. Red Oaks 36 

V. Not Charged 42 

VI. A Unique Hiding Place 49 

VII. The Major’s Story 57 

VIII. Out of Sight of Land 65 

IX. Fresh Treasures 73 

X. Delusions 82 

XI. Lost in the Thicket 91 

XII. A Disconcerting Message 100 

XIII. A Combat 109 

XIV. Captured 118 

XV. Some Varied Experiences 130 

XVI. Sports 139 

XVII. The Ball Game 146 

XVIII. An Encounter with a Snake . . . .156 

XIX. A Battle with Fear 166 

XX. A Dangerous Venture 177 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER I’AGE 

XXI. Saved 187 

XXII. The Last Shot I 97 

XXIII. An Anxious Time 204 

XXIV. An Apparition 210 

XXV. A Call for Help 216 

XXVI. A Night Watch 225 

XXVII. A Boat on Land 234 

XXVIII. The Storm 240 

XXIX. Conclusion 248 


FOREWORD 


On Bo^d the R. V. Ofe Fire Island, 
July 20, 1908. 

My Dear Boys: So numerous are the letters 
received from my young readers, asking for fur- 
ther particulars concerning the lives and experiences 
of Chot, Fleet and Tom, that I have decided to 
yield to the many requests, and to tell those inter- 
ested something of their school day work and play. 
The tale of “ Comrades on a Voyage ’’ will there- 
fore be deferred, and after their summer outing in 
New Mexico, ending with the almost tragic ven- 
ture on the Great Divide, I propose telling of the 
school life of the boys at Winton Hall, of their 
sports on the well-known Oval and of the affair, 
of which some have doubtless already heard, while 
with the Winton Hall Cadets. I am the more 
pleased to undertake this task, because of the op- 
portunity it affords, to tell my interested readers 
of a most mysterious occurrence in the life of Tom 
Pratt. An episode that was not only to test his 
character and tax his ingenuities, but which had a 
marked influence upon the lives and future of all 
three of the Comrades. 

Very truly yours, 

Ralph Victor. 


7 


COMRADES IN NEW 
MEXICO 


‘i 


CHAPTER I 

'AT THE BLACK DOG 

“ Well, boys,’’ said Major Benson, drawing rein 
in front of the Perro Negro, a small Mexican Inn 
almost on the border line in southwestern New 
Mexico. We will put up here for the night.” 

‘‘ I guess it will be ‘ put up,’ ” muttered Tom 
Pratt, glancing at his chums with a look of comical 
dismay. 

It was a beautiful evening near the end of June. 
The intense heat that had marked the day had less- 
ened as the sun had gone down, and a refreshing 
breeze was blowing from the mountains in the 
west. The comrades, with the epcception of a 
few hours’ rest during the hottest part of the day, 
had been in the saddle since the early morning. 
But stiff and tired from their long ride as the three 


9 


50 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

boys were and though pleased at the prospect of 
resting their aching muscles, the Inn did not appear 
inviting. 

A squat, misshapen one story building it was. 
Constructed of rough boards, almost square, with 
a low pitched roof, it still presented a not altogether 
unpicturesque appearance. It was set in a grove 
of cottonwood trees, near the bank of a small 
stream. The wind and the weather had mellowed 
the barrenness of its unpainted sides to a silvery 
gray and toned its glaring rawness to something of 
harmony with the little collections of adobe huts 
about it. The place was known as the aldea or 
village of Estrada. 

A motley group of cowpunchers, vaqueros, herds- 
men and miners, who lounged in the open space 
under the trees, or stood before the bar, added to 
the attractiveness of the place. 

Buena tardes, Caballeros ! Good evening, 
gentlemen,” called the major pleasantly to the by- 
standers. 

“ Buena tardes, senor ! ” responded two or three 
but the majority, ignoring his greeting, commented 
audibly upon the new arrivals, speaking in a patois 
of broken English and Spanish. 

, The three comrades, Chot Dunham, Fleet Kenby 


AT THE BLACK DOG 


II 


and Tom Pratt, in the quest of new experiences 
were spending their summer vacation at the Ha- 
cienda de Rosado in New Mexico. They had rid- 
den that day from the ranch, located some thirty- 
five miles to the north, in company with the major, 
to spend a few days at his ranch, Red Oaks, and 
incidently to equip his place with a wireless tele- 
graph apparatus. 

“We shall have to look after the horses our- 
selves,’’ said the major, dismounting and leading 
the way to the sheds at the back of the Inn. “ It 
is a custom of the country.” 

“ Did you see him ? ” whispered Chot to Tom, 
while they were unsaddling their mounts, first 
glancing around to make sure there was no one 
within hearing. 

“ Don’t guess I know whether I did or not,” re- 
plied Tom. “ Who is ' him ’ ? ” 

“ That tall fellow in the Mexican dress who was 
standing in the doorway when we rode up,” re- 
sponded Chot still in a low tone. 

“Didn’t notice him particularly,” said Tom, un- 
consciously dropping his voice as well. “ They all 
looked alike to me. What about the one you re- 
fer to?” 

“He is one of the bandits that was after us in 


12 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


the cave/' answered Chot, referring to an experi- 
ence of the previous weeks. 

“ You don’t mean it ! ” cried Tom excitedly. 
** Which one of them ? ” 

“ Miguel,” said Chot. 

** Gracious ! ” ejaculated Tom. “ I wonder what 
he is doing here ? ” 

I wish I knew,” responded Chot. “ But then 
I suppose they go everywhere.” 

‘‘ Do you think they know us ? ” mused Tom. 

‘‘ Isn’t a doubt about that,” said Chot. I heard 
him say to the man who was with him, ‘ Them’s the 
fellows Took is always growling about ! ’ ” 

Newt Took is undoubtedly one of the outlaw 
crowd and he would like to get rid of us if he could 
to pay off past scores,” commented Tom. “We 
will have to be on our guard. Do you think they 
know that we were the ones that they were hunting 
for in the cave ? ” 

“ Don’t hardly think so,” replied Chot. “ You 
know they didn’t see us and they are not really 
sure that there was any one there.” 

“ Wonder what they think because of their lan- 
tern,” laughed Tom. 

“ What are you two whispering about ? ” broke 
in Fleet, who having finished caring for his horse 


AT THE BLACK DOG 


13 


now joined them. “If you fellows didn^t talk so 
much you would get through sooner.” 

“ Shs ! ” whispered Chot. “ Not so loud. There 
are some of the bandits here.” 

“ Sure you aren’t dreaming ? ” doubted Fleet. 
“ .Where are they ? ” 

“ In the Inn,” answered Chot. 

“Must belong to the inn-tv circle,” commented 
Fleet. 

“ We had better tell the major,” continued Chot, 
laughing. The gentleman referred to was a retired 
English army officer, now living in New Mexico. 
He had been arranging for a supply of fodder for 
the horses and now joined the comrades. 

“ Well, boys,” he said, “ what new experiences 
are you planning now ? ” 

“ Not any,” replied Chot, “ but there are some of 
the Valdes band at the Inn.” 

“ Very likely,” admitted the major, evidently not 
surprised. “ Birds of a feather, you know. 
Shouldn’t wonder, don’t you know, if half the 
natives around here were part of it. But how do 
you know which are bandits ? ” 

“ Tom and I saw them in the cave when we were 
caught by the earthquake, you know something 
about it, do you not ? ” 


14 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


To be sure,’’ said the major. Mr. Shelton 
was telling me of some of your experiences. Your 
club seems to have been a success from the start.” 

‘‘ Well, we certainly have had a few incidents 
out of the usual and worth recording,” laughed 
Tom. It was not so bad on the farm,” 

Rather lively in New York,” suggested Chot. 

‘‘ And it hasn’t been so slow that you would fall 
asleep on the ranch,” supplemented Fleet. 

The reader, interested in the chums and not 
familiar with their past experiences, will find them 
recorded in the preceding books of the series, the 
first is called “ Comrades on the Farm,” where the 
boys had their first summer outing in each other’s 
companionship. Then follows ‘‘ Comrades in New 
York,” and “ On a Ranch.” The latter has refer- 
ence to incidents which transpired during a short 
period just prior to the opening of this story. 

'' What had we better do? ” asked Tom, glancing 
toward the Inn. 

We will go in and get something to eat,” sug- 
gested the major. “There isn’t any need to pay 
any attention to the bandits. Only be careful not 
to let them pick a quarrel with you if they should 
try to do so.” 

“We will look out for that,” replied Chot, with 


AT THE BLACK DOG 


15 


his usual confidence. He was not boastful, but had 
that strong physical and mental courage that made 
him afraid of no one and of no thing. 

“And now/' continued the major, “suppose we 
go inside and take a look around. There is one 
thing in favor of these Mexican Inns, their cooking 
isn't half bad — when you get used to it." 

“If it doesn't kill you before you get used to it," 
put in Tom. 

“ It isn’t a touch to what you will come across in 
your life's wanderings," said the major. “ I fancy 
you will eat many a worse meal than you will get 
here. That is, before you have quenched your 
thirst for experiences." 

“ Speaking of thirst, reminds me of water. I 
would like a chance to wash my face and hands," 
declared Chot. 

“ Have to use the pump," exclaimed the major. 
“ You are out in the desert, you know." 

Taking turns now at pumping, the comrades had 
a good wash up, and were able to take a more 
cheerful view of the surroundings. 

“ This reminds me of the cowboy I heard of the 
other day," remarked Tom when he had completed 
his toilet. 

“ How is that ? " asked Fleet. 


i6 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

** He had been out on the mesa for a day and a 
half without anything to drink/’ said Tom, “ and 
coming to a hacienda he spurred his horse and 
dashed furiously into the place. Rushing into the 
house he seized a bottle of furniture polish, which 
was the first thing he saw, and drank it down.” 

* But couldn’t you get any water ? ’ he was 
asked.” 

** ^ When a man’s dying of thirst,’ he said, ‘ he 
doesn’t stop to think about personal cleanliness.’ ” 


CHAPTER II 


A NIGHT ALARM 

The comrades found the interior of the Black 
Dog, as the Inn was called, as little inviting as the 
exterior. Economy of work and of material was 
the keynote of its construction; no more was used 
of either than was necessary to fit it for its purpose. 
The rough board partitions that divided the inside 
of the box-like building, were scarcely more than 
six feet in height ; the space above them being open 
from one end of the building to the other. 

This, though doubtless excellent for ventilating 
purposes, was not conducive to privacy, and the 
talk and noise of the bar room was audible in the 
farthest corner of the structure. The principal 
apartment, the front, which took almost half of the 
house, was the bar and sitting room, and in addition 
to the counter which ran down one side, it con- 
tained a half dozen tables and several gambling 
layouts. 


17 


i8 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

Back of this room was the dining room. This 
as suited to the demands of the patrons of the 
hostelry, to whom eating was a secondary matter to 
the quenching of thirst, was much smaller than the 
front room. At one side of the dining room was 
the kitchen, and from its vicinity there were issuing 
savory odors that seemed to confirm the major’s 
opinion as to the merits of the Inn’s cuisine. 

Back of the dining room again were several 
smaller rooms, one or two of which contained 
bunks for the benefit of such unfortunate travelers 
as might be compelled at night to avail themselves 
of the Inn’s hospitality. 

“ I suppose people who live hereabouts do not 
know what a first-class hotel is like?” queried 
Chot. 

“ They are satisfied,” answered the major, and 
anyway ‘ first-class ’ is a relative term. What one 
person approves of, another may not, and then there 
is the question of cost to be reckoned with. Even 
here they have varying prices, although I do not 
know that they distinguish them as we do in old 
England, by ‘ class.’ ” 

‘"You always have three classes, do you not, in 
railroad traveling?” questioned Tom. 

“Yes,” replied the major, “and that reminds 


A NIGHT ALARM 


ig 

me of an old stage that carried people from my 
home town to another town in the neighborhood. 
The stage belonged to an old fellow named Car- 
mody, who, taking his cue, I presume, from the 
railroads, sold places for the trip as first, second 
and third class but he had only the one stage 
drawn by two rather ancient specimens of horse 
flesh. The seats allotted to each passenger were 
practically the same except that those of the first 
class sat nearest the driver, etc. A traveler paying 
first class and taking the trip for the first time 
would be apt to think, naturally, that he was being 
imposed upon. 

However, the explanation came in due time. 
Midway between the terminals was a long, very 
steep hill to be surmounted. When the base of 
this hill had been reached, old Carmody would call 
out: 

‘‘ * All first-class passengers keep their seats. All 
second-class passengers get out and walk. All 
third-class passengers get out and push.' ” 

The chums expressed their appreciation of the 
story by a hearty laugh, and noting a movement 
of the other guests of the house toward the dining- 
room, they, nothing loath, made their way to the 
table to which they were assigned. 


120 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


The comrades found the dinner they were served 
with really excellent in its way, and they enjoyed 
the novelty of the genuine Mexican cooking. 

When they had finished their meal they passed 
through the front room, glancing about them curi- 
ously as they went. It had become quite dark by 
this time, but the room was brilliant with the light 
shed by a number of oil lamps which hung upon 
the walls. Around the tables the vaqueros and 
cowpunchers were gathered, some staking their 
money on the turn of the wheel or the coming of 
the black or red, some in watching the play of the 
others. 

The players were mostly silent except for an oc- 
casional expletive as they won or lost, but the 
lookers on kept up a continuous chatter of comment 
or advice. So intent were they on the games that 
they apparently paid no attention to the comrades 
as they made their way out. 

“ Did you see them,” asked Chot when they were 
outside. 

“ Big as life,” replied Tom, “ but they seemed to 
be more interested in their game than in us.” 

Hope they were,” said Chot, “ but I am a little 
suspicious of them.” 

It was so much pleasanter in the open air under 


A NIGHT ALARM 


21 


the light of the stars than in the Inn, that the boys 
remained outside talking with the major until it 
was time to get to bed. They were tired, and be- 
sides they were to be off again early the next morn- 
ing. 

The bandits were still intent on their game and 
gave the comrades when they went in, no apparent 
heed. 

It was some time before the boys could get to 
sleep; the calling of the dealers, the muttered ex- 
clamations of the players and the loud talk of 
the men in the barroom coming plainly to their 
ears, but they were exhausted by their ride and 
dropped to sleep after a time in spite of the dis- 
turbance. 

All sound had ceased and the place was in dark- 
ness when Tom awoke with a sudden start. How 
long he had been asleep nor what it was that had 
awakened him he could not determine, but he was 
lying in his bunk perfectly wide awake with every 
sense on the alert. 

** Must have heard some noise,’^ he concluded 
after listening for a while and was about dropping 
off to sleep again when he felt, rather than saw or 
heard, something move beside him and the next 
moment a hand was lightly passed over his face. 


.22 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


He was about to call out when something was 
pressed tightly across his mouth and a voice hissed 
in his ear: 

If you make any noise I will kill you ! 

** Help ! Help ! ’’ cried Tom in spite of the warn- 
ing, struggling desperately against the effort to 
keep him down. 

“What is it?’’ shouted the major, bounding 
from his bunk. 

“What is the matter?” called Chot, tumbling 
onto the floor, quickly followed by Fleet. 

“ This way ! quick ! ” halloed Tom, who was still 
struggling with his assailant. 

“ Where are you, Tom ? ” called Chot, endeav- 
oring to make his way through the darkness. 

By this time all the inmates of the house had been 
aroused by the commotion. 

“ Diabolo ! ” shouted the landlord from his apart- 
ment. “ From what comes all this disturbance ? ” 

“ Bring lights ! ” commanded the major, “ and be 
quick about it, too.” 

It was a full half minute, however, before the 
landlord with a lamp and a somewhat dishevelled 
appearance, emerged from an inner room. 

“ What is it? ” he demanded, wrathfully. 


A NIGHT ALARM 2 ^’ 

Fm blest if I know/' said the major. “ What 
was it, Tom ? " 

“ Somebody had hold of me and threw me on 
the floor," answered Tom, getting up from the floor 
where he had been lying, half dazed. 

“ Pah ! " exclaimed the landlord, in disgust. 
“ Pesadilla!" 

‘‘ That must have been it," said the major, laugh- 
ing. There isn’t anything here." 

‘‘ What kind of a thing is that? " asked Tom. 

“ Pesadilla — a nightmare," replied the major. 
^ Your dinner was too much for you." 

“ Pretty substantial nightmare," asserted Tom. 
Then struck by a sudden thought he made a dive 
for his clothes and running his hand in the pockets 
he added, “the night horse has carried off my 
pocketbook." 

“What is that?" demanded the major, sharply. 
“ Robbers in the house here ! What is this place,, 
a den of thieves ? " 

“ My pocketbook is gone too," Chot, prompted 
to make search, so reported. 

“ You will see that they are returned," sternly 
said the major to the landlord. 

“ But no, senor," expostulated the latter with a 


24 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

shrug of his shoulders, “ it might happen to any 
one/' 

“ It is your place to see that it doesn’t happen 
here,” protested the major. And more than 
that,” he continued, “ I want you to see that those 
pocketbooks are returned. Quien sabe ? ” 

“ Nothing at all, sehor,” demurred the landlord 
unimpressed. 

‘‘ Very well,” declared the major with a decision 
of manner that was evidently convincing. ‘‘ Do you 
wish me to inform the sheriff that you harbor 
bandits here in your house ? ” 

“ But, senor, no. For the love of heaven, no ! ” 
pleaded the landlord. “ I will do what I can,” he 
added with a deprecatory motion of his hands. 

“ See that you do,” said the major sternly. 
‘^You can leave the light burning, and see to it 
that we are not disturbed again to-night. You can 
go to sleep, now, boys, I will guarantee that we are 
not bothered further.” Then again to the land- 
lord, If the money is not returned before we are 
ready to leave in the morning, you will take the 
consequences.” 

Though they were silent, it was some time before 
the comrades fell asleep again, and it seemed to 


A NIGHT ALARM 


25 


tHem they had scarcely done so when it was time 
to get up. 

When they had risen and began dressing, they 
found on the floor, near the door, their pocket- 
books, with their contents undisturbed. 

‘'Did we dream it, or were they really taken?/’ 
asked Chot. 

“ It is wisdom sometimes not to ask awkward 
questions,” the major smiled. 


CHAPTER III 


A STRANGE RACE 

In Spite of the interruptions of the night the boys 
■were ready at daybreak to resume their journey. 
Travel is far more pleasant in the early hours of 
the morning, than at any other time of the day. 
After an early breakfast at which no one but the 
major and the boys appeared, the outlaws, if they 
were still about, not showing themselves, they were 
<iuickly on the road. 

“ How far is it to Red Oaks from here ? ” asked 
Chot when they started from the Inn. 

‘‘ About thirty miles,” replied the major, but the 
road is good and we should get there by ten 
o’clock.” 

Is that as the fly crows ? ” went on Chot. 

“ No, no,” interjected Tom. You mean as the 
flow cries.” 

"‘Do I?” said Chot, with a laugh. ‘‘You can 
have it that way if you like it better.” 

26 


A STRANGE RACE 


27 


** You mean as the cry flows/’ said Fleet. 

Well, not as the crow flies,” the major inter- 
posed, putting an end to the discussion. “We fol- 
low the trail because it is better traveling. This 
trail runs south from Estrada all the way down to 
the Mexican line.” 

“ Doesn’t it go near any other place,” asked Tom. 

“ Oh, yes,” said the major, “ it takes in its course 
all the towns and villages on the way. It dates 
back to the time when the Spaniards held this 
country.” 

“ Is there much travel on it now? ” asked Fleet. 

“ Not so much as there used to be before the 
railroad came in,” said the major. “ Now it is 
used mostly by the herdsmen and the cowboys, but 
at one time it was the main road between old and 
New Mexico.” 

“ Why does it end at Estrada? ” went on Tom. 

“ Because the mesa begins there,” explained the 
major, “ and there isn’t any trail on the mesa.” 

“Is it a desert around Red Oaks like it is at 
Rosado?” said Chot. 

“ No, we are leaving the plains now,” explained 
the major. “We are getting on higher ground. 
We get more rain here and we have woods and 
more vegetation.” 


28 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


The road was good and putting their horses at a 
canter the travelers made rapid progress. 

Do you think the bandits took our pocket- 
books?” questioned Tom, recurring to their ad- 
venture of the previous night. 

Why, who else would do it ? ” asked Chot. 

Then the landlord must be in with them,” ar- 
^gued Fleet. 

Nothing more likely,” said the major. “ I took 
the chances on it.” 

“ And that is why they came back,” concluded 
Tom. 

My title of major of course affords me no 
official position, but someway the people hereabouts 
do not seem to care to pick a quarrel with me.” 

The major was a man of fine appearance, and a 
military bearing that was likely to command re- 
spect. That his word should have weight was a 
condition the comrades could easily understand. 

“ What is that noise ? ” asked Chot, a little later. 
He was riding in front, and they were passing 
through a small woods. On either side of the trail 
the ground was thickly overgrown with underbrush. 
‘‘ Sounds as if someone was trying to force their 
way through the bushes.” 

“It isn’t a horse,” said the major, coming to a 


A STRANGE RACE 


29 


Stop to listen. “ Horses don’t thrash and trample 
around like that. I have heard it for some little 
time, but I haven’t been able to make out what it 
is.” 

It seems to be over there,” interposed Fleet, in- 
dicating a point a little in front of them. 

** Sounds like some big animal trying to break 
through,” said Tom. '' Do you have any grizzly 
bears around here, major?” 

“ May have some in the mountains, but they are 
mostly farther north,” answered the major. It 
isn’t a bear. Clumsy as they may seem to be, they 
don’t make any such noise as that.” 

“Perhaps it’s a panther,” suggested Fleet. 

“Panthers are stealthy animals,” put in Chot. 
“ They don’t thrash around like that. They are 
more likely to be up a tree.” 

“ Don’t they ever come down from their 
perches ? ” asked Fleet, sarcastically. 

“ Sounds more like an elephant than anything 
else,“ interposed the major. “ I have heard them 
in the woods in India make just such a crashing 
sound as that.” 

“Aren’t any loose elephants around here, are 
there?” asked Tom. 

“ Never heard of any,” replied the major. “ But 


30 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


the horses don't act as if there were any wild ani- 
mals about. They would be sure to scent danger if 
there were any.” 

‘‘ It is coming this way, whatever it is ! " ex- 
claimed Fleet. “ The noise is getting louder.” 

“ I see it ! ” cried Tom, standing up in his stirrups 
and looking off over the underbrush. It’s a big 
bull!” 

“ A wild bull 1 ” exclaimed the major. They are 
savage beasts when aroused, and dangerous too. 
When you have an opportunity, note the sharp 
points on his horns and the small, keen-edged feet. 
They will attack a man or almost any animal. All 
of forest life seem to be their enemy, and in seem- 
ing resentment for the attacks made on their young, 
they in turn look upon all beast-kind as their foe. 
We had better give this fellow a wide berth. I had 
rather meet almost anything than a mad bull in a 
place like this. Ride back to the open ground- 
where we will have a chance to get out of his way.” 

‘‘ Perhaps we can ride ahead or him and escape 
that way,” suggested Fleet. 

Let’s try it 1 ” cried the impetuous Chot, putting 
spurs to his horse and dashing ahead. 

The other boys, nothing loth, followed suit, and 
soon had the satisfaction of finding that they were 


A STRANGE RACE 


31 


past the point where the bull was breaking his way 
through. The riders were only just in time, for as 
Fleet, who was last, passed the spot, the bull, a 
magnificent animal with a pair of wide spreading 
horns, burst into the trait and there stood with 
head erect muttering a prolonged rumbling bellow 
as if challenging the world to combat. Now catch- 
ing sight of the comrades and their mounts, he low- 
ered his head and charged upon them. 

Hurry up ! cried Chot, looking over his 
shoulder, putting spurs to his horse, and dashing 
away in a panic. “ He is coming this way.’’ 

Fleet and Tom, who had drawn rein and had 
been watching the bull in admiration, with a shout, 
set off after Chot in a wild race for the open 
ground, which was soon reached. The major had 
branched off from the trail and had taken a circuit- 
ous path which would shortly bring him again into 
the regular route. The bull pursued the boys but a 
little way and then as if satisfied with having put 
his foes to flight, stopped and turned as if to go 
back over the trail. 

When the bull stopped. Fleet, who had felt his 
saddle slipping, jumped from his horse to tighten 
the girth. He had drawn it up and was just about 
to mount his horse when the bull with a sudden 


33 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


access of rage, gave vent to another angry roar and 
again came galloping up the trail. At the sound 
of the bull’s coming, Skyrocket, Fleet’s mount, 
who had been snorting uneasily, now in a par- 
oxysm of terror, sprang ahead suddenly, leaving 
Fleet alone in the path of the maddened animal. 

With a startled glance in the direction of the bull, 
Fleet started up the trail as fast as he could run, 
with the beast in pursuit, and closing up rapidly the 
intervening space. 

While this was happening, Tom and Chot, sup- 
posing Fleet was just behind them, had ridden on. 
It was not until his riderless horse came galloping 
past them that they became aware of his peril. 

** Hallo ! ” cried Tom, when he saw the horse 
without a rider. Something has happened to 
Fleet!” 

We must go back and help him,” shouted Chot, 
turning his mount about and starting off at a gal- 
lop. 

“ Where are you going? ” shouted the major, who 
was about to rejoin the boys and who was not aware 
that Fleet was not with them. His view had been 
hid by a clump of trees and thick undergrowth and 
he was mystified at finding the riders faced in the 
opposite direction. 


A STRANGE RACE 


33 


“ Something has happened to Fleet/’ replied 
Chot, “ and I am going back to help him.” 

“What are you going to do?” cried Tom, as 
they raced along until they quickly came in sight of 
Fleet pursued by the angry bull. 

“ Try and attract his attention and give Fleet a 
chance to get away,” shouted Chot. 

“ Shake your hat or your handkerchief at him,” 
yelled the major, still at some distance. “If he 
chases you perhaps I can get a shot at him,” draw- 
ing his revolver. “ It is a long shot and Fleet is 
right in the way but it is the best we can do,” he 
mused. “ I will wait until he gets a little closer, 
however.” 

“ Hurrah ! Here comes help,” shouted Tom, 
waving his hat as two cowboys, who had been 
chasing the bull, broke through the bushes. “ Go 
it. Fleet, you’ll beat him yet ! ” 

It was the strangest and most exciting race which 
the riders had ever seen. In spite of their anxiety 
to aid their comrade, they were held almost spell- 
bound by the closeness of the double contests. 
Racing down the road toward them, running easily 
and lightly but with a speed he perhaps had never 
attained before in any of the races in which he had 
taken part, came Fleet, and behind him, with low- 


34 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


ered head, uttering from time to time a low, mut- 
tering bellow, thundered the bull, visibly lessening, 
even as they looked, the distance between the two. 
It was a question of moments only when Fleet 
would be caught and tossed high in the air, gored 
to death mayhap, by the wide spreading, cruelly 
pointed horns. 

Tearing along behind the maddened animal came 
the cowboys, their ponies seeming to fly over the 
ground, with their lassos swung ready to throw as 
soon as they should be close enough to their quarry. 
Which would win? Would the bull have time to 
overtake and toss Fleet to one side, before the cow- 
boys had caught him, or would the cowboys throw 
him before he had caught up with Fleet? 

It was but a question of moments, of the fraction 
of a second. The bull was sweeping his head still 
lower, ready for the climax; the cowboys were 
whirling their lassos for the throw. 

Thank heaven, they are gaining on him,’^ cried 
Chot. ** Run ! Fleet ! Run ! A few feet more 
and you are safe ! 

Thunder ! ” groaned Tom. “ He is down.’' 

Putting on an extra spurt in response to Chot’s 
call. Fleet, almost winded, had stumbled and gone 
down just in front of the charging bull. 


A STRANGE RACE 


35 


“Take care!” warned the major, dashing for- 
ward with his revolver ready to fire, when just in 
the nick of time a lasso fell across the brute’s head, 
whirling him around and throwing him heavily to 
the ground, scarce three feet from where Fleet 
had fallen. In fact, the boy had gained that little 
space by rolling over as he fell. 

“ Phew ! ” exclaimed Fleet, getting upon his feet, 
where he stood panting for a few moments. “ I 
bet that would break the record for the three hun- 
dred yard dash.” 


CHAPTER IV 


RED OAKS 

'‘You sure can run some, son,’’ said one of the 
cowboys who had jumped to the ground and had 
taken a turn with his rope about a small tree. 

“ It was a case of had to,” replied Fleet. Then 
recalling the speaker’s voice and looking at his 
rescuer. “ Why, its Curly.” 

“ Sure, son, it be,” responded the cowboy, and the 
others coming up, congratulations were exchanged. 

** So you boys are acquainted with Curly, are 
you? ” asked the major. 

Sure enough,” broke in Chot. ‘‘ Guess Curly 
has kinder evened up for the hold-up trick, eh, 
Fleet? ” 

Right you are,” assented the breathless boy. 

Answering the major’s queries Chot recounted 
the tale of the comrades’ arrival at the ranch, and 
the part Curly played therein. 

36 


RED OAKS 


37 


After a time, again referring to his race with the 
bull, Fleet was prompted to say : — “ I was like the 
farmer’s boy looking for woodchuck.” 

How was that? ” asked the major. 

A man going along the road,” answered Fleet, 
‘‘ met a farmer’s boy with a spade. 

" Where are you going with a spade ? ’ asked the 
man. 

“ ^ Going after a ground hog,’ replied the boy. 

^ Do you think you can get one ? ’ said the man. 

“ ‘ Don’t think anything about it,’ answered the 
boy. “ ‘ The minister is coming to dinner to-day 
and there is no meat in the house. Got to get 
him ! ’ ” 

I fancy he got him,” the major laughingly com- 
mented. 

The cowboys had, meantime, gotten the animal 
under control; each of them had a lasso about its 
horns and they were ready to start. By riding at 
some distance on each side of the animal it could 
be so controlled as to prevent any further effort to 
break away. 

“ Whose bull is it ? ” asked the major. 

‘‘ Belongs to Bar X,” replied Curly. The Wilde 
ranch. About a half dozen miles east of here,” he 
explained to the comrades. “ Got on the rampage 


38 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


this morning and struck out for freedom and a 
clear field/^ 

'' Came pretty near being a dead bull/’ said the 
major, “ if you had not come up when you did.” 

‘‘ Reckon that’s what it means anyway,” com- 
mented Curly — but we will return him to his 
quarters. Then with a chorus of “ good-byes ” they 
rode off. 

As soon as Fleet’s horse was caught the comrades 
resumed their journey and preceding without 
further incident arrived in due course at Red Oaks. 
Here they received a hearty English welcome from 
Mrs. Wharton, the major’s widowed sister, and 
her daughter Nellie, a girl aged about fourteen. 

“ This is my ‘ cow girl/ ” said the major, in in- 
troducing Nellie to the chums. “ She can ride, 
shoot and throw a lasso as good as any cowpuncher 
on the place, which isn’t half bad for an English 
lass.” 

But I’m not English,” retorted Nellie quickly. 

I’m just as good an American as any of them.” 

I suppose we are all Americans now,” said the 
major with a half-sigh. But there is one thing 
you can’t do, young lady.” 

“ What is that? ” questioned Nellie. 

“ You can’t run as fast as our friend Fleet here.” 


RED OAKS 


39 


“ Can you run very fast ? ’’ asked Nellie, turning 
to Fleet. 

‘‘ I guess I can when I have to,’’ admitted Fleet, 
laughing. 

“ He can give a jack rabbit odds,’’ said the major, 
relating the incident of the race. 

Why didn’t you shoot him ? ” exclaimed Nellie, 
before he had finished. 

Shoot who? ” asked the major. 

** Why, the bull, of course.” 

“ I didn’t get a chance,” retorted the major. 

“ I wish I had been there,” said Nellie. 

“No doubt,” replied the major, dryly. “ You 
would have managed it just right.” 

“ Well, it does seem as if something could have 
been done,” was the response, and it did not make 
any of them feel very heroic to be thus commented 
on by a girl. 

The comrades spent the afternoon in going about 
the ranch in company with Nellie or the major. 
They showed them all there was of interest about 
the place, which was as much like an English 
farm as it was possible to be, the major being 
wealthy enough to indulge in his hobby. The 
house, although built of adobe, had been modeled 
upon the plan of the major’s English house at Red 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


’40 

Oaks in Essex, after which it had been named. 

I want to show you my horse/’ said Nellie, 
when they were going through a field where a num- 
ber of animals were pastured. 

“ Which is he ? ” asked Chot. 

“ Wait until I call him/’ answered Nellie. 

Putting a small whistle to her lips, she blew a 
long note. As she did this, one of the horses, a 
handsome black, raised his head and looked toward 
them, then as she repeated the call he came trotting 
to meet her. 

“ Isn’t he a beauty? ” said Nellie proudly, patting 
the horse’s head as he laid it upon her shoulder. 
‘‘ We raised him from a colt.” 

“ I should say he was,” admitted Fleet. 

“ Splendid,” added Chot. 

Can’t anything beat him around here,” Nellie 
asserted. 

Skyrocket can go some,” declared Fleet. 

“We shall have to have a race. What is his 
name?” enquired Tom. 

“ Raven,” replied Nellie. 

“Wings against powder!” remarked Fleet. 
“ When shall it be ? ” 

“To-morrow,” proposed Nellie. 

There were other things to think of on the mor- 


RED OAKS 


41 


row, however, and the race when it did come off 
was long remembered in that section. 

“ That will do, old fellow,” said Nellie, giving the 
horse a final pat. I won^t want you to-day.” 

But the steed thus dismissed still followed them 
as far as the fence, where he stood looking after 
them as if he would like to continue in their com- 
pany. 


CHAPTER y 

NOT CHARGED 

“Well, boys,'’ said the major the following 
morning, when he came upon the comrades stand- 
ing on the lawn in front of the house engaged in an 
earnest discussion. “ What is on hand for to- 
day?" 

“We were just talking about the best place to put 
up the transmitter," replied Chot. “ Where would 
you rather have it ? " 

“ Oh, put it anywhere you like," returned the 
major. “ You know best about it." 

“ We have to put up the pole the first thing," ex- 
plained Tom. “ Do you want it inside or out? " 

“ I thought it had to go on the outside," replied 
the major. “ I suppose that depends a good deal 
upon how big it is. Which goes to show how little 
a man knows about a thing he don't know anything 
about. Where is it ? " 


42 


NOT CHARGED 


43 


“ The pole ? ’’ asked Tom. Oh, we haven’t got 
it yet. The size depends upon where you are going 
to put it, on the top of the house or outside.” 

“Isn’t the top of the house outside of it?” in- 
quired Nellie, innocently. 

“ I must speak by the book, I see,” answered 
Tom, good-naturedly. “ You see,” he explained, 
“we can put a small pole on the top of the house 
or we can set up a bigger one alongside of it.” 

“ I think it would be better on the roof,” pro- 
tested Chot. 

“ What is the difference? ” questioned the major. 
“ You see I don’t know anything about this busi- 
ness and you will have to begin my education in 
wireless telegraphy with the a b c’s.” 

“ There isn’t any difference really,” explained 
Chot, “ as far as the working is concerned, but if 
it is on top of the house it cannot be interfered 
with.” 

“ I see,” said the major. “ You mean if it is on 
the outside an enemy could cut our communications. 
I don’t think we will ever be in a state of siege 
here,” he laughed, “but you think it isn’t a good 
plan for your pickets to carry unloaded guns.” 

“ That is it,” replied Chot. 

“ I fancy you are right,” the major admitted. 


44 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


Nothing like being on the safe side. We will 
have it on the inside as Tom says.’' 

'‘We will have to go to the woods and cut a pole/’ 
observed Tom. 

“ I can show you where there are some beautiful 
straight ones,” exclaimed Nellie. 

“ Poles?” questioned the major. 

“ Trees,” pouted Nellie. “ You knew what I 
meant.” 

“We know what you said,” retorted the major. 
“ We are speaking by the book to-day.” 

There was a small woods not far from the house 
where the boys found some fine straight young trees, 
one of which they cut down and trimmed into a 
pole. By the time this was done and the pole, with 
the attached wires, set in its destined place on the 
roof, it was noon and the work was left until after 
dinner and the siesta were over. 

“Well!” exclaimed Chot, who was looking over 
the apparatus preparatory to setting it up when 
they had gone back to the work. “If this isn’t a 
nice state of things I ” 

“ What is that? ” asked Tom. 

“Why, these batteries aren’t charged,” replied 
Chot. 


NOT CHARGED 


45 


“ Guess you will find them charged in the bill, all 
right,” remarked Fleet. 

“ That will do. Fleet,” said Tom, severely, or 
you will find yourself discharged.” 

‘‘ And there is nothing to charge them with,” Chot 
went on. 

‘‘ That’s a pretty how-de-do,” said Fleet. 

‘‘What are they, mercuric or copper batteries?” 
asked Tom. “ Couldn’t we send for some? ” 

“ Mercuric,” answered Chot. “ No trouble about 
sending but the getting is another horse of color.” 

“ A horse of another color, you mean,” corrected 
Tom. 

“ I can call spirits from the vasty deep,” quoted 
Fleet, “ but will they come when they are called ? ” 

“ Dot VOS ein nodder thing, eh ! ” added Tom. 

“Depends upon what kind of spirits they are,” 
answered Chot. “ Sometimes they come when you 
don’t call them.” 

“ Like they did in the smuggler’s suit case,” put 
in Tom. 

“We have plenty at the ranch,” went on Chot. 

“ Spirits ? ” asked Tom. 

“ No, mercuric bisulphate.” 

“ That is like the Dutchman’s anchor,” said 


46 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

Fleet. He had a first rate anchor but it was at 
home when he wanted it.’' 

We aren’t so badly off as he was,” laughed Chot. 
“We can go and get it and he couldn’t.” 

“ Gee ! ” exclaimed Tom. “ I like that. A hun- 
dred mile ride for a quarter’s worth of bisulphate.” 

“ It might be worse,” began Chot, cheerfully. 
“ Suppose — ” 

“ Suppose nothing,” said Tom, firmly. “ Your 
suppositions always make a bad matter worse.” 

“ Anyway you ought not to complain, as I am 
the one to take the trip,” argued Chot. 

“ I think I ought to go with you,” demurred 
Fleet. “ There is safety in numbers.” 

“ Nonsense,” answered Chot. “ There is noth- 
ing to be afraid of.” 

“ Are you going right back? ” asked Nellie. “ I 
thought you were going to stay until after the 
Fourth.” The girl had just come upon the roof 
with a pitcher of lemonade which their kind hostess 
had sent. 

“ So we are,” answered Chot. “ There isn’t any 
need of more than one of us going. I can ride over 
and come back with Mr. and Mrs. Shelton. They 
are coming down for the Fourth, you know.” 

“ Better let me go with you,” persisted Fleet. 


NOT CHARGED 


47 


“ Oh, one is just as good as two,’" replied Chot, 
“ and it will save the horses.” 

Can’t you get it at Buena Vista? ” asked Nellie. 

That is only ten miles and we can all go.” 

“ I’m afraid not,” said Chot, and then we would 
have to go to Rosado afterwards just the same.” 

“ Don’t bother about it, boys,” said the major, 
when the matter had been explained to him. ‘‘ A 
few days won’t make any difference. We are like 
the Indian, we have got all the time there is, you 
know. I will send to Kansas City for some.” 

“ Business is business,” returned Chot. ‘‘We 
agreed to put up the apparatus and we are going to 
keep our end of the agreement. We want to strike 
the iron when the sun shines.” 

“ You mean to strike while the iron is hot,” cor- 
rected Tom. 

“Well, it’s hot when the sun shines, isn’t it?” 
asked Chot in a grieved tone. 

“ Well,” continued the major, “ like a willful 
woman, you will have to have your way, I suppose.” 

“ Why a willful woman any more than a man,” 
asked Nellie. 

“ Because a woman always gets her way, my 
dear,” answered the major. 

“ Not always,” Nellie doubted. 


48 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


'' It ought to be safe enough,” said the major, 
after a thoughtful pause and reverting to Chot’s 
contemplated journey. 

‘‘ Of course it is safe enough,” replied Chot. “ I 
can ride as far as Estrada to-night and I can get 
an early start the next day and get to Rosada be- 
fore noon-time. I will have company on the re- 
turn trip, and doubtless Mr. Shelton will let me 
have a fresh horse for the journey.” 

Look out for the outlaws,” advised Fleet. 

I don’t think the bandits will bother about me,” 
laughed Chot. 


CHAPTER VI 


A UNIQUE HIDING PLACE 

“ We will ride part of the way with you/^ sug- 
gested Fleet, ‘‘ and see you safe on the road.’^ 

"If you are going/’ advised the major, "the 
sooner you get away the better/’ 

" Then I am going to get off at once,” announced 
Chot. 

It was but a few moments before the horses 
were saddled and the little cavalcade started. After 
accompanying him for some half dozen miles the 
others bade Chot " adois ” and returned to the 
ranch. 

It was still early evening, for the days were now 
f very long, when Chot arrived at El Perro Negro; 
but unlike the other to be remembered evening there 
were but few persons about and these few paid no 
attention to him. After attending to his horse and 
supper being over, getting something to eat which 
the landlord found for him, Chot was off early to 
bed. 


49 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


SO 

The night passed without any disturbance, al- 
though he slept, as Fleet would express it, “ with one 
eye awake” and with the coming of daylight he 
was astir. He fed his horse and gave him a rub 
down preparatory to an early start. 

On his way to the shed that morning, he noticed 
several men whom he had not before seen. Among 
them he observed the outlaws Jose and Miguel. 
He paid no attention to them, however, until they 
came up beside him. He was engaged in currying 
his horse. 

“ That is a good beast you have there,” said 
Miguel. Cuanto ? How much for him ? ” 

“ Good morning,” responded Chot, and continued, 
“ He isn’t for sale.” 

“ Your horse ? ” went on the man. 

“ No,” said Chot, shortly. He isn’t mine.” 

Where do you come from ? ” asked Miguel. 

“ I came from Major Benson’s,” said Chot, 
guardedly, thinking it wise not to speak of Rosado. 

“ Isn’t that one of Mr. Shelton’s horses ? ” asked 
Jose. 

Yes,” said Chot. ‘‘ Do you know the owner? ” 

The man muttered something which Chot could 
not understand. 

“ Then you come from Rosada ? ” questioned 


A UNIQUE HIDING PLACE 


51 


Jose. This after a pause during which he eyed 
Chot narrowly. 

“ I have been stopping there,” answered Chot. 

“ Are you going back there ? ” asked Miguel. 

'‘I am going to meet Mr. and Mrs. Shelton,” 
replied Chot, getting somewhat uneasy under the 
insistent questioning. 

That is what I told you,” remarked Jose to 
Miguel, as the men started back to the Inn. 

“ I wonder what it was he told him ? ” mused 
Chot. The best thing I can do is to get away 
from here as quickly as possible.” 

As soon as Chot could get his breakfast he was 
off on his way, having seen nothing more of the 
bandits. 

From Estrada a good part of the journey was 
along the course of a stream that came down from 
the mountains and as the road was good Chot urged 
his horse on, but in spite of all his efforts the animal 
lagged ; so that when at noon he stopped to rest in 
a small grove, he was much less than half way to 
Rosado. The presence of the bandits at the Inn 
had disquieted him and as soon as the worst of the 
heat was over he re-saddled his horse to resume 
his journey. 

As he was starting off, as a matter of precaution 


52 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


he glanced back over the road and was disturbed 
to see two horsemen rapidly approaching. 

“ The quicker I can get away from here the bet- 
ter/' he thought, and he urged his horse on as fast 
as he could. 

“ They may be all right,” he reflected, but I 
don’t like the looks of it and it will be just as well 
to keep out of their way.” 

I wonder what is the matter with Brownie,” 
he cogitated after a bit, for in spite of all his efforts 
the horse’s pace became more labored and slower. 
His pursuers, if such they were, were rapidly gain- 
ing on him. 

“ They may be after me and they may be only 
traveling in this direction,” he reasoned, “ but I 
am going to find out. I will ride over to the woods ; 
it is out of my way and off the trail ; if they follow 
I’ll know they are after me.” 

Turning his horse’s head in the direction of the 
forest he proceeded as fast as he could. Looking 
back after a few moments he saw that the men had 
changed their course and were plainly headed to- 
ward and rapidly gaining on him. His position 
was decidedly unpleasant. The outlaws, he was 
sure, had recognized him as one of the comrades 
who were visiting at the hacienda, and of whom 


A UNIQUE HIDING PLACE 


53 


they had heard enough, through Took, to regard as 
dangerous enemies and to be gotten out of the way. 
Whether they knew that the comrades had dis- 
covered the secret of the lost river or not they were 
evidently anxious to be rid of them. 

“ I can’t successfully resist them if they attack 
me,” reasoned Qiot ; “ I wish I had brought a gun 
of some kind. As it is, the only thing I can do is 
to try and elude them.” Chot thought quickly. 
‘‘If I can jump from the saddle into one of the 
trees I won’t leave any trail and they won’t know 
where I have gone. I’ll try it anyhow,” he said to 
himself, “even if I fail I won’t be any worse off, 
for my mount is laboring painfully.” 

The wood which he was now approaching was of 
very heavy timber and little underbrush had grown 
up between the trees. The trees themselves were 
well scattered, yet were so large their wide spread- 
ing branches interlaced and even the lower branches 
were so high that Chot could not reach them with 
his extended hand. Climbing now on the saddle 
he got first on his knees, as he and his chums had 
practiced in their efforts to imitate the tricks of the 
cowboys at the hacienda, then onto his feet, where 
he balanced himself for an instant. While the 
horse was loping along under his persistent urging 


54 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


he came to a slightly sagging branch, grasping it 
he sprang into the tree. Quickly he drew himself 
up out of sight of any one below. 

He had scarcely succeeded in doing this when 
the bandits, who were only a short distance behind 
him when he entered the woods, were heard gal- 
loping below him. 

''We have got him now,’’ he overheard Jose 
saying to his companion. 

" Don’t be too sure of that,” objected Miguel. 
" They are devils, those Americans.” 

" A fig for your devils,” returned Jose. "If I 
can get my hands on him I will take care of him all 
right.” 

" You want to pray the saints they don’t get their 
claws on you,” retorted Miguel. 

Further words he could not catch as they rode 
along. 

" I wonder what will be the next move,” thought 
Chot as he made his way to better security farther 
up in the tree. " I think I will study up flying 
machines when I get out of this. A pair of wings 
would come in handy just now.” 

Chot was not long left in doubt, for in ten min- 
utes the men came back through the woods, evi- 
dently in search of him. 



Comrades in Nenx! Mexico. 








A UNIQUE HIDING PLACE 


55 


What did I tell you,” expostulated Miguel. “ I 
knew he would get away somehow.” 

'' He hasn’t got away yet,” growled the other, 
stopping beneath the tree in which Chot had taken 
refuge. ‘‘ He disappeared in the woods somewhere 
and I am going to find him. He is somewhere be- 
tween this locality and the edge of the wood where 
we found his horse. Say, but you did not give him 
a big enough dose. The animal ought to have 
played out hours ago.” 

‘‘ So they tried to poison my horse,” was Chot’s 
thought. 

‘‘ I am going to find him,” repeated Jose. 

“ Quiza ! ” said Miguel, looking about him, 
Maybe you will and maybe you won’t. If he 
were human where could he go ? There is no place 
here where he could hide.” 

He is here somewhere,” retorted Jose, and I 
am going to search him out. He knows too much 
and I am going to get rid of him. He must be up a 
tree and so he must come down.” 

“ Carambo ! no,” said Miguel. Nothing but a 
cat could go up a tree so quick. We were just be- 
hind him. See, there are the marks of his horse’s 
hoofs, the animal never stopped in his stride. The 
boy went off just like that,” and Miguel blew across 


56 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


his hand with an expressive little puff. “ Same as 
they did in the cave. Better leave him alone. No 
good will come of it.” 

Chot, who had climbed up into the tree as high 
as he dared, now drew himself close to the trunk 
and waited for the next move on the part of his 
pursuers, which was not long in coming. He could 
not see the speakers below, but of a sudden his at- 
tention was attracted to an adjoining tree. Chot 
had noted that the branch upon which he was rest- 
ing his hands for partial support, was of a remark- 
able length and stretched out till it met and over- 
lapped a branch of the next nearest tree. Some 
motion upon the branch of the farther tree caught 
his eye. To his horror, he made out some sort of a 
wild beast stealthily approaching. Its yellow eyes 
were on a level with his own. He gazed in fasci- 
nated terror. Truly his predicament was hopeless. 
There seemed no way for him to cope with one 
enemy or the other. To remain where he was, 
would be to become the sure prey of the wild beast. 
To make any move for defense would call to the at- 
tention of the outlaws his hiding place. 


CHAPTER Vn 

THE major's story, 


I SUPPOSE Chot is at Estrada by this time," said 
Tom, when in the evening after their return from 
their ride with Chot they had gathered on the 
lawn, which, in the English fashion, lay in front of 
the house. 

“ Ought to have gotten there some time ago," said 
the major. 

I have been thinking," suddenly interjected 
Fleet, who had been sitting silent for some time. 

Such an unusual operation that you have to 
mention it? " asked Tom. ‘‘ Don't do too much of 
it for it might prove dangerous." 

“No danger of your overdoing it," retorted Fleet, 
with the accent on the your, 

“ What has been disturbing your gray matter 
now ? " continued Tom. 

“ We could have rigged up some sulphate of cop- 
57 


S8 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

per batteries if Mrs. Wharton would spare us a few 
jars.’^ 

I can spare a few in the interest of science/’ 
laughed Mrs. Wharton. 

“ But we haven’t any more sulphate of copper 
than we had of mercury,” objected Tom. 

‘‘We can get that at Buena Vista,” said Fleet. 
“Every drug store has that. They have a drug 
store at that place, haven’t they ? ” 

“Do you mean a chemist’s shop?” asked Nellie. 

“ I guess that’s the English of it,” said Fleet. 

“ I thought somebody was an American,” re- 
marked the major dryly. 

“ I don’t care,” replied Nellie, “ it says chemist 
on the window anyhow.” 

“ Then there must be one there,” said Fleet, “ so 
that settles that part of it.” 

“Say! why didn’t you think of it before,” 
groaned Tom. “Your brain works too slow, it’s 
twenty-four hours behind. The wheels need oil- 
mg. 

“ It’s better to work a little slow than not at all,” 
retorted Fleet, but he made no further reference 
to the matter and the conversation drifted to other 
subjects. 

“ It’s a good time now,” suggested Tom, ad- 


THE MAJOR’S STORY 


59 


dressing the major, for you to tell us that story 
you promised at Rosada.” 

Did I make a promise? ” asked the major. “ If 
I did I shall have to keep it.” 

After a few moments of silent musing the major 
commenced his narrative. 

“ When I was a boy younger by two years than 
either of you, for I was only fourteen, I accom- 
panied my uncle Fenn on a trip, which lasted a full 
year, to Borneo. 

“ My uncle was a naturalist of some renown and 
he had been appointed by his government to secure 
specimens of rare birds and animals. We had been 
much in each other’s company, uncle and I, and we 
were extremely fond of one another. I had profited 
greatly by his instructions, though his outings were 
always looked upon in the light of pleasure trips 
by me. 

''Of our interesting experiences in Borneo I will 
say nothing. Uncle picked up there as a guide and 
servant, a native who was recommended as one in 
whom he could have confidence, though he spoke 
hardly a word of English. He was black as a 
piece of ebony and uncle dubbed him Bony and 
always called him by that name. 

Some specimens uncle particularly wanted he 


6o 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


could not chance upon. After a month of effort, 
every day of which was glorious pleasure to me, 
uncle was told that only in some of the smaller 
islands of the adjacent group would his search be 
likely to meet with success. It was determined 
therefore to seek out such an island. 

“A canoe was secured, and finally every thing 
was in readiness. Our boxes were snugly stowed, 
our provisions ready, our guns in their water-proof 
cases, the sail lay ready for hoisting, and all that 
was wanted now was to wait until a good wave came 
in and then shove off and ride out on it as it re- 
tired. 

‘‘ The canoe was so large that I wondered 
whether we should be able to manage it ourselves ; 
blit I had full confidence in my uncle’s skill, and it 
seemed to me that my help ought to be of some 
use. So I seized the pole that lay ready, and pre- 
pared to use it. Bony said something to the little 
crowd gathered on the sands, when, as he took the 
lead, eight or nine ran into the water, seized the 
boat by the sides, and ran her right out fifty yards 
to where the water was up to their breasts, when, 
giving us a final thrust, away we went upon the top 
of a roller, my uncle hoisting the sail at the right 
moment. 


THE MAJOR^S STORY 


6i 


“ Bony took the great paddle, steering and show- 
ing himself thoroughly skillful in the management 
of a canoe. 

“ My uncle pointed east as the course he wanted 
to go ; but our crew, as we called him, rose in mutiny 
directly, pointing south, and handing the paddle 
back to me he grew very excited, saying, ‘ Bird, 
bird,’ flapping his arms like wings and uttering 
screeches, whistles, and cries, before lifting an 
imaginary gun to his shoulder and uttering the 
word ‘ Bang ! ’ 

‘ That is plain enough to understand, Dick,’ said 
my uncle. 

“ ‘ Yes,’ I replied ; ‘ he means that there are plenty 
of parrots and other birds on some island where 
he will take us.’ 

" It does not much matter where we go/ said 
my uncle, ‘ so long as we visit islands where 
naturalists have never been before, so I shall trust 
to our friend here.’ In turns we held the sheet as 
the swift canoe glided over the sunlit waves till the 
island we had left began to grow dim in the dis- 
tance and its mountains to sink, as it were, beneath 
the wave, while the place to which we were going 
grew less misty and indistinct. 

“ It was evidently very high land, and as we drew 


62 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


nearer we could see that right and left of it there 
were other islands apparently of goodly size. 

Mid-day came and we made a hearty meal, the 
canoe, urged by the soft brisk breeze, still gliding 
onwards till towards evening, when we were suffi- 
ciently near the land we approached to make out 
that it was very bleak and bare and sterile. There 
was a ridge of mountains in the central portion, 
but as we examined the place with the glass it 
looked as blank and uninviting as could be. 

“ ‘ Not a sign of an inhabitant,’ said my uncle. 

‘ I’m afraid we have made a mistake ; but perhaps 
one of the other islands may prove more inviting.’ 

“ He continued his inspection and went on talk- 
ing. 

‘ There are plenty of traces of sea-birds,’ he 
continued , ‘ but it is not their breeding season, and I 
cannot see a single bird. But he is not making 
straight for the sands. Why don’t you try to land 
there?” 

Bony shook his head, and then laughed and 
said, ‘ No,’ steering the canoe to the left of the 
island. And so we sailed on till it was so near sun- 
set that it would be dark in half an hour, when our 
crew, who had evidently been here before, suddenly 
steered the canoe into a cove well sheltered from the 


THE MAJOR^S STORY 


63 


rollers, and lowering the sail we ran her up on the 
soft sands quite clear of the sea, Bony at once set- 
ting to work collecting dry drift-wood to make a 
fire. 

He pointed out a sheltered spot among some 
heaped-up rocks where the sand had been blown up 
by tempests into a soft bed, and here, after a very 
hearty meal well cooked over the fire, we lay down 
to sleep ; my uncle having climbed to the top of the 
rocks and swept the island with his glass, returning 
to say that there was not a trace of a human be- 
ing. 

“We slept soundly and well out there in that little 
storm-swept island, but no storms disturbed us, 
and the first thing I heard after lying down was the 
crackling of wood as Bony piled it up to make a 
good fire. 

“As soon as he saw me awake he beckoned me 
to go to the boat, and there, taking the fish we had 
brought out of the basket, he smelt it, made me do 
the same, and then threw all but one small silvery 
fellow into the sea. 

“ Hullo ! ’’ cried my uncle, “ isn't that waste ? " 
for he had advanced over the sands unheard. 

“ ' I think so,' I said, ‘ but I think he means to 
catch some fresh.' 


64 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


“ That was evidently Bony’s intentions, for he 
cut up the silvery fish into scraps for bait, and then 
signing to us to help him, we launched the canoe, 
paddled out half a mile, and then threw over a 
couple of lines, Bony showing his teeth with de- 
light as he drew in quickly a couple of good-sized 
mullet-looking fish, a couple more, and another soon 
coming to my line. 

“ But Bony was not satisfied till we had caught 
five or six times as many as seemed necessary. 
Then and then only did we paddle ashore. 

It was soon evident why Bony had wanted so 
many fish, for after cleaning and setting enough for 
our breakfasts to roast, he prepared the rest and 
put them to cook while we made a hearty meal. 
Then he put the freshly cooked fish on board, where 
we followed him and once more launched upon the 
tropic sea. 

“ Are you interested, boys? ” inquired the major, 
at this point. ‘‘ For this is an old story to my sis- 
ter.” 

“ Indeed we are ! ” exclaimed the others in unison. 

“ Then I will go on,” said the major. 


CHAPTER VIII 


OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND 

It was plain enough that this was only a rest- 
ing-place upon our way, for as soon as the sail was 
hoisted Bony took the paddle and steered us south- 
west, leaving larger islands to right and left though 
nothing was visible ahead. 

“ ‘ I suppose we must trust him,’ said my uncle ; 
‘but it does look rather wild work cruising these 
seas in an open canoe, quite at the mercy of a savage 
whose language we cannot speak.’ 

‘‘ ‘ But I think he must have been here before,’ 
I replied. 

“ ‘ Yes,’ was the answer, ‘ he has been here be- 
fore, and probably has touched at some place where 
he has seen, or thinks he has seen, plenty of birds. 
At any rate, if the weather holds fair it will not be 
such a very difficult thing to run for some island for 
shelter.’^ 


6s 


66 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


I had been thinking the same thing, that it 
seemed a very risky proceeding to sail right out to 
sea under the guidance of this savage ; but there was 
so much romance and novelty in the idea of sailing 
away like Columbus in search of a new land, that 
I thoroughly enjoyed it, and the further we sailed 
the more excited I grew. 

It was now plain enough why Bony had in- 
sisted upon a good supply of fish, for we dined off 
it and then made our evening meal of the same, no 
land being in sight, and when at last the lower edge 
of the sun seemed to touch the crimson water, send- 
ing a path of light right to our canoe, whose sail 
it seemed to turn to ruddy gold, there was still no 
land in sight. 

“ My uncle stood up and used the glass, gazing 
straight before him in the direction that seemed to 
be our goal; but Bony shook his head and then 
closed his eyes and made believe to sleep, pointing 
to us in turn. 

“ ‘ He wants us to lie down and sleep,’ said my 
uncle, ‘ but it is out of the question ; * and he shook 
his head. 

‘‘Bony tried again and again to get us to lie 
down, but finding that we would not, he sat there 
laughing and looking as merry as could be, although 


OUT OF SIGHT OF HAND 


67 


there was no land in sight, and at last, when the sun 
was disappearing, he placed the paddle in my uncle’s 
hand, pointing south-south-west as the course to be 
steered, after which he lay down and went oif fast 
asleep. 

“I sat talking to my uncle and holding the sheet, 
though the breeze was so steady it seemed to be 
quite unnecessary, while he steered the canoe on- 
ward through the darkness, taking the stars for his 
compass, till the motion of the boat and the dark- 
ness combined to send me off into a deep sleep. I 
had closed my eyes and started up several times be- 
fore, but this last time, when I opened my eyes 
again it was to see the black figure of Bony seated 
there steering, with the sun just above the horizon, 
and my uncle stretched in the bottom of the canoe 
fast asleep. Pointing ahead I tried to learn from 
our steersman how much farther he was going to 
take us. 

“ His reply was to point straight ahead, and we 
were still speeding on, when, after five or six hours’ 
sleep, my uncle jumped up into wakefulness, ready 
to partake of the waiting meal of cold fish, biscuits, 
and fruit; the coffee, which in a case like this I 
made by means of a spirit-lamp, being kept in abey- 
ance for a time. 


68 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


“ * Well, Dick,' he said ; ‘ is our wild-goose chase 
nearly at an end ? Is land in sight ? ' 

** * No, uncle,' I said, after gazing carefully ahead. 
‘‘ Just then Bony pointed to the telescope, and made 
signs to my uncle to use it. 

“ * Look through ? ' he said to the black. ‘ All 
right, my friend, I will;' and placing it to his eye 
as he stood up in the boat he cried to me as I eagerly 
watched him, ‘ Land ahead, and apparently a 
wooded shore ! " 

“ By the time we had made a hearty meal Bony 
pointed with triumph to the faint hazy speck in the 
distance, now growing minute by minute plainer 
to our eyes. He watched our countenances very in- 
tently, and then suddenly broke out with : 

* Bird — shoot bird.' 

“ ‘ He seems to have brought us here under the 
impression that it is a good place, and I trust it will 
prove so,' said my uncle. ‘ I hope there will be no 
unpleasant savages to hinder our work.' 

“As we drew nearer the glass was frequently 
brought to bear, but neither my uncle nor I could 
detect any sign of habitation, not even when we 
were within a quarter of a mile of the shore. The 
place proved to be densely wooded in some parts. 


OUT OF SIGHT OF LAND 69 

while the lofty hills looked green and park-like, 
with the large trees dotted here and there. 

“ The beach was a soft white sand, upon which 
the waves curled gently over ; and not twenty yards 
from the highest marks made by the tide, the tall 
palms, loaded with fruit, dropped their great 
feathery leaves. 

‘‘ As far as we could see the island was not large, 
but the interior was very mountainous, the green 
hills running up to a great height, for the most part 
well-clothed with wood; and to our great delight, 
as we ran the boat cautiously upon the sand, we 
could hear the screams of parrots and the whistling 
and twittering of innumerable birds. 

“ ‘ We may as well be prepared against danger,’ 
said uncle, loading his gun, and I followed suit; 
but Bony began to chatter and expostulate with us 
for leaving the boat, and signed to us to help him 
run it up on the next wave well ashore, so that a 
rope could be made fast round the nearest palm 
stem. 

“ This we did, and the black’s next movement was 
to collect wood for a fire. To humor him we waited 
about while he lit the fire, but kept making little in- 
cursions amongst the openings to see if we could 


70 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


spy out any signs of human habitation. But look 
where we would we saw nothing, and it soon be- 
came evident that we were the only occupants of 
that part of the island. 

“ Bony seemed so satisfied and contented that it 
was very evident that there was nothing to fear; 
so we obeyed his signs after we had helped him to 
make a good fire, and followed him through an 
open park-like piece of the country till we were 
about half a mile from the sea, when his object in 
guiding us was plain enough, for he pointed out a 
little flock of half a dozen pigeons as big, it seemed 
to me, as ordinary fowls, and getting within range 
we fired together, and shot four. 

“We secured the birds we had shot, and going 
back my uncle and I set to and skinned them, hand- 
ing over the bodies to be cooked while we carefully 
preserved the skins, admiring them all the while. 

“ Handsome as was the appearance of the birds, 
they were none the less delicious in the eating. No 
doubt our open-air life had a good deal to do with 
the keen enjoyment we had in eating the birds we 
shot; but feeding as these pigeons did on spices, 
nuts, and other sweet food, the flavor given to their 
flesh was very fine. 

“Dinner over, we were for an expedition; but 


OUT. OF SIGHT OF LMD 71 

Bony protested loudly. Taking an axe and beck- 
oning us to follow we accompanied him to a patch 
of bamboo, and helped him to cut down a good 
selection of stout pieces, and after them a num- 
ber of lengths of rattan cane, which grew here in a 
wonderful way. I had seen it growing before, but 
never to such perfection ; for it seemed to run ug 
one tree and down another, running along over the 
bushes for a short distance and then ascending an- 
other, till uncle computed that some of these canes 
were quite a hundred yards long. 

“ It was very evident what Bony meant, and he 
was telling us all the time, though not a word could 
we understand, as we helped him. 

‘ As we are to make a hut for shelter,’ said 
uncle, ' I suppose he expects us to stay here for 
some time, which is a good sign, for he evidently 
knows that there are plenty of specimens to be had.’ 

Then we began to carry the bamboos and rat- 
tans to the edge of the forest, just beneath a widely 
spreading tree, in whose branches every now and 
then some beautiful lory came and perched, but 
only to fly off screaming. Sharpening four stout 
bamboos and forcing them into the soft sandy soil 
for the four corners of the hut. Bony very soon 
bound as many more to them horizontally about 


72 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


five feet from the ground, tying them in the clever- 
est way with the cane. 

“ Then he tied a couple more across at each end, 
and laid a long stout bamboo in the forks they made 
for a ridge-pole, binding all as strongly as could be 
with an ingenious twist, and after that making 
rafters of smaller bamboos, so that in a couple of 
hours he had made the rough framework. 

Towards the latter part of the time, in obedi- 
ence to his instructions, which were given by word 
of mouth and wave of hand, uncle and I cut a great 
number of palm leaves of a very large size, with 
which Bony rapidly thatched the hut, making by 
the time it was dark a very rough but very efficient 
shelter, where we lay down to sleep that night upon 
a pile of soft dry grass, of which there was any 
quantity naturally made into hay and close at hand. 

‘‘We were so tired out that we did not trouble 
ourselves about there being no sides to the hut, 
being only too glad to have a roof to keep off the 
dew, and, trusting to there being no dangerous wild 
beasts, we lay down and slept soundly till the sun 
was once more above the sea. 


CHAPTER IX 


FRESH TREASURES 

Bony set to work earnestly to finish the hut, 
binding down the palm leaves of the thatch with 
more long canes, which he cleverly threaded in and 
out, and afterwards secured their ends. Then he 
cut oif the long ends of the bamboos so as to leave 
all tidy before commencing the sides. 

“ My uncle was as anxious as I was to go upon 
some expedition ; but as there was no shelter to be 
obtained here, and it became more and more evi- 
dent that we were upon an uninhabited island, he 
saw the necessity for having our boxes and stores 
under a roof. 

‘‘ So we set manfully to work helping the black, 
cutting bamboos, bringing large palm leaves, fetch- 
ing long rattan canes, and handing them to him; 
while, saving when he left off for meals, Bony toiled 
like a slave, working with an industry that we 
73 


74 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


should not have expected to find in an inhabitant of 
, one of these sleepy isles. 

“ At last, though, he finished, and his childish 
delight seemed to know no bounds. He danced and 
shouted, ran in and out, walked round the hut, and 
then strutted up to us full of self-satisfaction, his 
tongue going all the while, and evidently feeling 
highly delighted at our smiles and words of praise. 

'‘No time was lost in transferring our boxes and 
stores beneath the roof, and then, as it wanted quite 
three hours to sunset, my uncle proposed, by way 
of recompense for all our drudgery, that we should 
take our guns and see if we could not obtain a few 
specimens. 

" Now Bony led the way to a high hill about a 
mile away, from whence we had a splendid view all 
but in one direction, where there lay a clump of 
mountains. Look which way we would there was 
nothing but rich plain and dense jungle, with occa- 
sional patches of park-like land. Not a sign was 
there of huts. 

" ' We are in luck,’ said my uncle. ' This island 
must swarm with natural history specimens, and 
he has brought us here because he thought it a good 
place; so now to make the best use of our time. 
Look out ! ’ 


FRESH TREASURES 


75 


** As he spoke, he raised his gun and fired at a bird 
darting down a narrow rift between two rocks that 
looked as if they had been riven asunder. 

I thought he had missed it, but Bony ran ahead 
and returned directly with a most lovely kingfisher 
in glorious plumage. 

* If we get nothing more in this island, I shall 
be satisfied,’ said my uncle as we gazed at the lovely 
creature. ‘ Now, we must not have a feather of that 
bird spoiled. I feel ready to go back on purpose 
to prepare it.’ 

It was indeed a lovely creature ; but as I gazed 
upon its delicately beautiful tints I felt puzzled. It 
was of rich purple on the back, with azure blue 
shoulders dashed and speckled with a lighter blue, 
while all the under parts were of a pure white, which 
seemed to throw out the rich colors of the back. 
But the great beauty of the specimen was its tail, 
which was long and had the two center feathers 
continued almost without any plumes till the end, 
where they spread out like a couple of racket bats, 
making the little bird in all about a foot and a half 
long. 

‘ Come,’ said uncle, ' we must get back to the 
hut, or we shall never get our birds turned into 
skins before dark. Look out ! ’ he suddenly called. 


76 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


“We fired so closely together that it sounded like 
one shot, and three great pigeons fell heavily to 
the ground — part of a little flock that was passing 
over our head. 

“ Bony seized them with a grin of delight, for he 
knew that these meant larder, and then hastening 
back we had just time to strip and prepare our 
skins before night fell, when work being ended the 
fire was relit, the kettle boiled, and a sort of tea- 
supper by moonlight, with a dark forest behind and 
the silvery sea before us, ended a very busy day. 

“ That night as I lay in the dark, but with the 
beach outside lit up by the moon, and listened to 
the strange noises of the forest behind the hut, I 
felt over and over again ready to awaken my uncle 
or Bony, so sure was I that I could hear wild beasts 
on the move. 

“ Should there be tigers, or leopards, or even wild 
boars, what chance should we have if they attacked ? 
Or it might be that one of the huge serpents of 
which I had read so much might creep in at the 
open door. 

“ I wanted to be brave, but somehow that night 
I felt horribly afraid, even the humming buzz of 
some night-flying beetle making me start. Perhaps 
I was over excited, or perhaps, as my uncle would 


FRESH TREASURES 


77 


have said, I had eaten too much. At all events, 
be it what it may, I could not go to sleep, but lay 
there turning hot and cold and wishing it was morn- 
ing. The silence seemed so dreadful, and the idea 
of this being an uninhabited island, instead of being 
delightful as it had felt in the bright sunshine, now 
appeared horrible, and I lay thinking of our being 
far from all human help, and that if our boat hap- 
pened to drift away we should be left to starve. 

“Of course this was all nonsense, for with such a 
clever savage as Bony and our own ingenuity and 
tools we could have built another boat — not such 
a good one as we had arrived in, but quite strong 
enough to bear us over a calm sea to one or the 
other of the islands where trading vessels came. 

“ Then I grew hot and seemed to be dripping with 
perspiration, and my horror increased. What 
would become of us when our food and powder and 
shot were gone ? We should starve to death. And 
I began to tremble and wish I had not come, feeling 
as if I would give anything to be back at home in 
my old bedroom, with the gas outside in the road 
and the policeman’s heavy foot to be heard now 
and then as he went along his beat on the look-out 
for burglars. 

“ Then I tried to reason with myself and to think 


78 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


that even if our powder and shot were gone we 
could make bows and arrows, and set traps, and as 
food ran short we could always make fishing-lines 
and catch the scaly creatures that swarmed amongst 
the rocks all round the shore. Besides which there 
were cocoanuts in plenty, with abundance of other 
fruit. 

“ I thought too of how when I was at home I 
should have revelled in the idea of being in such a 
place, to have an uninhabited island, and such a 
glorious one, far more beautiful and productive 
than that of Robinson Crusoe, than whom I should 
be far better off, for in addition to a man Friday I 
had my clever uncle for companion, guide, and pro- 
tector. 

At the thought of the last word I stretched out 
my hand to awaken him and tell him of my horrible 
feeling of dread ; but I drew it back for very shame, 
for what was there to be afraid of? 

“ I grew a little calmer then and lay gazing out 
of the open door at the brilliant moonlight, which 
made some leaves glisten as if they were of silver, 
and all beneath and amidst the thickets look dark 
and black and soft as velvet. 

Then came a strange sighing noise from the 
forest behind us, which made my flesh creep as I 


FRESH TREASURES 


79 


wondered what it could be. Then there was a wild, 
strange cry, and soon after a heavy crash as of 
something falling. 

‘‘ After that as I lay bathed in perspiration and 
oppressed by the terrible feeling of loneliness that 
seemed to increase, I fancied I heard the pat, pat, 
pat, pat of some animal running along the ground, 
followed by a hard breathing. 

** That must be a wild beast,’’ I said to myself ; 
and I rose up on one elbow to listen, meaning to 
get hold of my gun and load it if the sound came 
nearer. 

Then in a confused and troubled way I began to 
ask myself whether I ought awaken my uncle and 
at the same time kick Bony to make him seize his 
spear and help in our defense. 

“ But there are no big wild beasts in these islands, 
my uncle had said to me several times, even ex- 
pressing his doubt as to there being anything very 
large in Borneo. 

‘ But there are great apes,’ I said to myself. ‘ I 
know there are in Borneo, so why should there not 
be others in an island like this ; ’ and in imagi- 
nation I began to picture a hideous, great orang- 
outang cautiously advancing towards our cabin. 

‘‘ I knew they could be very fierce and that they 


8o 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


were tremendously strong. Then, too, some travel- 
ers had described them as being quite giants of six, 
seven, and eight feet high, and supposing that there 
really were no other wild beasts in this island, un- 
doubtedly there were these wild men of the woods, 
as the Malays called them, and it was one of these 
that was coming about the hut. 

Of course ; I knew now as well as if I had seen 
it. That crash I had heard was made by one of 
these monsters, and that was its hard breathing that 
I could hear now. 

It was of no use that I tried to make myself 
believe that I was only listening to Bony breathing, 
and every now and then indulging in a regular 
snore. No, I would not believe it, and lay with my 
feeling of horror increasing each moment till I lay 
so helpless now, that if I had wanted to get my gun 
I could not, I dared not move. 

“ Then there was another horror in the shape of 
a curious lapping noise from the sea, with a splash- 
ing and wallowing as of some great beast; and I 
did know this, that horrible crocodiles came up 
the rivers and lived about their mouths, going out 
to sea and back, and though we had seen no river 
yet in this island, it was evident that this was one 
of the monsters crawling about on the shore, and I 


FRESH TREASURES 


8i 


seemed to see it in the moonlight with its great 
coarse, scaly back, crooked legs, long stiff tail, and 
hideous head with sly, cruel-looking eyes, and wide, 
long, teeth-armed jaws. 


CHAPTER X 


DELUSIONS 

" After a while I knew as well as could be that 
with its strange instinct it would scent us out and 
come nearer and nearer, crawling along over the 
soft sand and leaving a track that could easily be 
seen the next day. I even seemed to see its foot- 
prints with the wide-spread toes, and the long 
wavy furrow ploughed by its tail. 

It was all one terrible nightmare, growing 
worse and worse ; the noise on the shore increased, 
the rustling and crashing in the woods ; there was a 
strange humming and buzzing all around, and the 
breathing sounded closer and deeper. 

''At last when I felt as if I could bear it no 
longer, and that if I did not rouse my uncle we 
should be destroyed, I tried to call out, but my 
voice sounded weak and faint ; there was a terrible 
sense of oppression about me, and the humming and 
singing noise i»creased. 


82 


DELUSIONS 


83 


contrived, however, to touch Bony, and he 
muttered angrily and changed his position, the 
noise he made in doing so waking my uncle, who 
started up on one elbow as if to listen. 

** ‘ He hears it all then,’ I said to myself, and with 
a wonderful sense of relief I knew that we should 
be saved. 

“ Why did I not spring up to help him ? you will 
say. 

“ Ah ! that I could not do, for I lay there per- 
fectly paralyzed with fright and quite speechless, 
till to my horror I saw in the dim light of the re- 
flected moonbeams my uncle lie down again, when 
I made a tremendous effort and gasped forth some- 
thing or another I cannot say what. 

“ ' Hallo ! ’ he exclaimed. ' Anything the matter, 
boy ? ’ and getting up quickly he struck a match 
and lit a little wax taper that he always carried in 
the brass match-box, part of which formed a stick. 

“ He was kneeling by my side directly and had 
hold of my hand, when at his touch my senses 
seemed to come back to me. 

^ Quick ! — the guns ! ’ I panted ; ‘ wild beasts ! 
— a crocodile, an ape, uncle. I have been hearing 
them come.” 

“ * Nonsense 1 my boy,’ he said smiling. 


84 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


“‘No, no; it is no nonsense, uncle. Quick! — 
the guns ! ' 

“ ‘ No, my dear boy, it is nonsense. There are no 
noxious or dangerous beasts here. You are quite 
safe from them. You have been dreaming, Dick.’ 

“ ‘ I’ve not been asleep,’ I said piteously. 

“ ‘ Haven’t you, my lad ? ’ he said, with one hand 
on my brow and the other on my wrist ; ‘ then you 
have been fancying all these troubles. My boy, 
you have got a touch of fever. I’m very glad you 
woke me when you did.’ 

“ ‘ Fever, uncle ? ’ I gasped, as the horror of my 
situation increased, and like a flash came the idea 
of being ill out in that wilderness, away from all 
human help and comfort; and, ludicrous as it may 
sound, I forgot all about uncle, and began to think 
of our family doctor at home. 

“ ‘ Yes, my boy, a touch of fever, but we’ll soon 
talk to him, we’ll nip him in the bud. A stitch in 
time saves nine.’ 

“ He laughed so pleasantly that he seemed to give 
me courage, but I glanced in a frightened way at 
the opening as I said that I did not much mind. 

“He saw my glance, and went outside with a 
cup in his hand, to come back in a few minutes with 
it full of water from a pool close by. 


DELUSIONS 


85 


“ ‘ No wild beasts about, my boy,’ he said merrily. 

‘ They were only fever phantoms.’ 

‘‘ ‘ But,’ I protested, ‘ I have not been to sleep, 
uncle.’ 

“ ‘ Sign that you are ill, because generally you 
drop off in an instant and sleep soundly for hours.’ 

“ ‘ But I’m sure I heard a great ape breathing 
hard, and it broke off a great branch in the forest.’ 

“ ‘ And I’m sure that you heard Bony snoring ; 
and as to the branch breaking, you heard, I daresay, 
a dead one fall. They are always falling in these 
old forests. We don’t notice the noise in the day, 
when the birds are singing, but in the night every- 
thing sounds wonderfully clear.’ 

‘ But I’m certain I heard a crocodile crawling 
up out of the sea, and creeping towards the hut.’ 

“ ‘ And I’m certain you did not, my boy. We 
have no muddy tidal river here for them to fre- 
quent. It was all fever-born, my boy.’ 

All the while he was talking I saw that he was 
busy getting something ready. First he put a little 
white powder in a glass, then he poured a few drops 
of something over it, and filled it up with water, 
stirring it with a little bit of glass rod before kneel- 
ing down by me. 

‘ There,’ he said kindly, ‘ drink that off.’ 


86 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


‘ What is it, uncle ? ’ I said, taking the glass with 
hot and trembling hand. 

“ ‘ One of the greatest blessings ever discovered 
for a traveler. It is quinine, fever’s deadliest 
enemy. Down with it at once.’ 

“The stuff was intensely bitter, but my mouth 
was so hot and parched, and the water with it so 
cool and pleasant, that I quite enjoyed it, and drew 
a deep breath. 

“ I lay back, feeling more at rest, and satisfied 
that uncle was right about the beasts, for there was 
no sound now to trouble me; only the lapping of 
the water, which seemed to be only the waves now 
beating softly upon the sand, while the heavy 
breathing was certainly Bony’s, that gentleman 
never having moved since I touched him. 

“ It was several days, however, and only after 
repeated doses of the medicine, that I was finally 
quite myself again. 

“ Then we hunted about in the near vicinity of 
our camp and one day when I was strong and well 
again we started on a long tramp inland. We se- 
cured many specimens of rare birds up till noon 
time. Then uncle decided to go on more rapidly 
but to do no more shooting. 

“ The further we went the more beauties we 


DELUSIONS 


87 


found, and we kept on noting down places to visit 
again where there were palm and other trees full 
of fruit, which evidently formed the larder of 
various kinds of beautiful birds. We could have 
shot enough in that walk to have kept us busy 
making skins for days, but we kept to the determi- 
nation my uncle had made, not to shoot any more 
that day, except once, when the curious hoarse cry 
of some bird of paradise, answered by others at a 
distance, tempted us away. 

“ ‘ Birds of paradise are exceptions,’ said my 
uncle smiling. ‘ We must get them when we can.’ 

“ I immediately seemed to see the beautiful bird 
flying amongst the trees, with its lovely buif plumes 
trailing behind like so much live sunshine, and 
glancing once at my gun to see that the cartridges 
were in all right, I crept cautiously on amongst the 
trees on one side as my uncle made a bit of a curve 
round in another, so that we had a good many great 
forest trees between us, whose foliage we carefully 
watched as we went cautiously on. 

“ Every now and then, after a silence that made 
us think that our labor was all in vain, and we were 
about to give up, the loud harsh cry would come 
echoing from amongst the trees, and always seem- 
ing so near that I thought I must get a shot at the 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


bird in a moment or two, and I bent down and crept 
on as quietly as I could, till the tree from which the 
sound seemed to come was reached. 

** Then I would stand ready to fire, watching 
carefully for a shot, peering amongst the boughs, 
and fancying a dozen times over that I could catch 
glimpses of the bird amongst the leaves, when as if 
laughing at me for my pains, the cry would come 
again from a couple of hundred yards away, and 
the chase went on. 

I did not shout to my uncle, for by stopping to 
listen now and then I could hear the rustling of the 
leaves and twigs as he went on, besides every now 
and then catching through the dim light a glimpse 
of his face. 

‘‘ Once or twice, when a beautiful bird sprang up 
between us, my heart began to beat more quickly, 
for I thought that if uncle was tempted to shoot at 
it he might hit me ; but by degrees I grew more con- 
fident and walked boldly on, feeling that I had noth- 
ing to fear. 

'' That bird must have led us for miles. Every 
time we were ready to give up, the hoarse cry rang 
out again, and we followed once more, feeling sure 
that sooner or later we must get a shot at it, or at 
one of the others which kept answering from a dis- 


DELUSIONS 


89 


tance; but at last I heard a peculiar whistle from 
where my uncle would be, and I forced my way 
through the undergrowth and joined him. 

‘ Dick,^ he said, wiping the perspiration from 
his face, ‘ that must have been a wild goose instead 
of a bird of paradise. Have you heard it lately ? ^ 

“ ‘ No, imcle ; not for quite a quarter of an hour. 
I think it must have taken a longer flight this time.’ 

***Yawk, yawk — wok, wok, wok, wok, wok/ 
rang out close behind us, and we both fired simul- 
taneously at a faint gleam of what semed to be yel- 
low light as it flitted through the glade, running 
forward to get beyond the smoke in the hope that 
we might have hit it. 

“ But even if we had we should not have been 
able to find it, for in the eagerness of our pursuit 
we had come now into one of the densest parts of 
the forest that we had found, and after wandering 
on through a faint warm glow caused by the setting 
sun shining through the tree trunks, a sudden dull 
grayness had come upon us, followed almost at once 
by darkness, and we knew that we were lost.” 

“ ‘ I ought to have known better,’ said my uncle 
with an exclamation of impatience. ‘ I have not 
the most remote idea where our camp is, and Bony 
will be expecting us back.’ 


90 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

‘‘ ‘ Oh ! never mind, uncle/ I said ; ‘ let’s have a 
try. I daresay we can find the way back.’ 

‘‘ ‘ My dear boy, it would be sheer folly/ he re- 
plied. ‘How is it possible? We are tired out 
now, and it would be only exhausting ourselves for 
nothing, and getting a touch of fever, to go striving 
on through the night.’* 


CHAPTER XI 


LOST IN THE THICKET 

* What are we to do then, uncle ? ’ I asked. 

“‘Do, my boy? Do as Adam did, make our- 
selves as comfortable as we can beneath a tree. 
We can do better, for we can cut some wood and 
leaves to make ourselves a shelter." 

“ ‘ What, build a hut, uncle ? ’ I said in dismay ; 
for I was now beginning to find out how tired I 
really was. 

“ ‘ No ; we won’t take all that trouble ; but what 
we do we must do quickly. Come along.’ 

“ I followed him up a slope to where the ground 
seemed to be a trifle more open and the trees 
larger, and as we forced our way on my uncle drew 
his great hunting-knife and chopped down a straight 
young sapling, which, upon being topped and trim- 
med, made a ten-foot pole about as thick as my arm 
was then. 

91 


92 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


‘‘ This he fixed by resting one end in the fork of 
a tree and tying the other to a branch about five 
feet from the ground.* 

‘"‘Now, then/ he cried, ‘get your big sheath- 
knife to work and clear the ground here. Does it 
seem dry?’ 

“ ‘ Yes, uncle, quite,’ I assured him. 

“ ‘ Well, then, you chop off plenty of soft twigs 
and leaves and lay them thickly for a bed, while I 
make a roof over it.’ 

“ We worked with a will, I for my part finding 
plenty of tree-ferns, whose fronds did capitally, 
and uncle soon had laid sloping against the pole a 
sufficiency of leafy branches to form an ample 
shelter against the wind and rain should either 
come.‘ 

“ ‘ So far, so good, Dick/ he said ; ‘ now are you 
very hungry ? ’ 

“ ‘ I’m more tired than hungry,’ I said. 

“ ‘ Then I think we will light a fire and then have 
as good a night’s rest as we can.’ 

“ There was no difficulty in getting plenty of 
dried wood together, and after a few failures this 
began to blaze merrily, lighting up the leaves of the 
trees with a rich red glow; and when it was at its 


LOST IN THE THICKET 


93 


height setting a good many birds flitting about in 
the strange glow, so that we could have procured 
more specimens here. But after sitting talking by 
the fire for some time we crept in under our leafy 
shed, and it seemed to me that no sooner had I 
stretched myself out than I fell fast asleep. 

I have no idea how long I had been asleep 
when all at once I started into wakefulness, feeling 
that we were in danger. 

“ I did not know what the danger might be, but 
that there was something about to happen I was 
sure. 

“ It was very dark in our narrow shed, and nearly 
dark out beyond our feet, only that a faint glow 
from our fire made one or two tree trunks stand 
out like dark sentinels just on the other side. 

“ My uncle was so near that I could have wak- 
ened him by just moving one hand, but remember- 
ing that other night, I shrank from wakening him 
without cause. 

“ I’ve got another fever fit coming on,” I said to 
myself ; but all the same I did not feel so, only 
startled and timid, and to encourage myself I 
thought that I must have had a bad dream. 

“ But no ; I could remember no dream. It 


94 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


seemed as if I had sunk at once into a profound 
sleep from which I had just wakened fancying that 
we were in danger. 

‘‘Then I lay quite still listening to my uncle's 
breathing, and thinking how helpless and unpro- 
tected we were out in that wild place, not even 
having Bony with us now. 

“ But what was there to fear, I asked myself as I 
recalled my uncle’s words, that he was certain there 
were no wild beasts in such an island as this, and 
there were no other inhabitants than ourselves. 

“ Yes, I could think of all this, and it ought to 
have made me more comfortable ; but no, there was 
still that curious feeling of being in danger, and I 
felt as certain as if I could see it, that something 
was coming to attack us. 

“ Then as I could neither see nor hear anything I 
began once more to conclude that I must be suf- 
fering from another attack of fever, and I lifted my 
hand to awaken my uncle, so that he might give me 
some quinine again. 

“ Then I recollected that the medicine was in one 
of our boxes right away from where we were, for 
we were lost in the forest, and it would be impos- 
sible to move until the warm sun was up once more. 
So there I lay till another change came over me. 


LOST IN THE THICKET 


95 


and I once more felt sure that it was not fever 
again. I knew it was not, and this time there was 
no mistake — something was coming through the 
forest, though wnat it was I could not tell. 

“ Should I waken my uncle ? 

I raised my hand again and again, but always 
lowered it once more, so fearful was I of being 
ridiculed; and then I lay thinking that although 
uncle had said with such certainty that there were 
neither inhabitants nor wild beasts, there was plenty 
of room for either to hide away in these forests; 
and besides, should there be no regular inhabitants, 
some might have come by canoe from one or other 
of the islands. And, yes, I was sure of it, they 
must have seen our fire, and were creeping up to 
kill us where we lay. 

This was a very pretty theory ; but would not 
they make some noise as they came, and if so, 
where was that noise? 

‘‘ I lay perfectly still with the perspiration oozing 
out of me and my horror increasing, but still there 
was no noise. 

Yes, there was — a low rustling sound as of 
some one creeping through the bushes towards us. 
There could be no mistaking that sound, it was just 
the same as I had been hearing all the afternoon 


96 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


as we crept cautiously on in search of the birds of 
paradise. 

I listened and tried to pierce the darkness with 
my eyes, but only just about the embers of the fire 
was anything visible, where the tree trunks stood all 
like sentries. 

‘‘ Then the noise ceased and I was ready to be- 
lieve that I had made a mistake. No, there it was 
again, and certainly much nearer. 

“ Should I wake my uncle, or should I try to be 
brave enough to deal with the danger myself? 

I was horribly frightened and sadly wanted him 
to give me his help and counsel ; but as I was not 
sure, in spite of my feelings, that there really was 
danger, I fought hard with my cowardice and de- 
termined to act as seemed best. 

“ Cautiously reaching out my hand I took hold 
of my gun, and by pressing my finger on each trig- 
ger in turn, I cocked it silently, and raising myself 
on one elbow waited for the danger to come. 

“ The sounds stopped several times, but were 
always resumed, and the more I listened the more 
certain I felt that some big animal was creeping up 
with great caution towards the fire, though I felt 
that that animal might be a man. 

“ I would have given anything to have been able 


LOST IN THE THICKET 


97 


to sit up in an easier position ; but I could only have 
done so by making a noise and perhaps waking 
uncle for nothing. So I remained as I was, watch- 
ing with eyes and ears upon a strain, the barrel of 
my gun towards the opening in our leafy shed and 
well covering the fire, and so minute after minute 
went by, with the sensation more and more strongly 
upon me of the near presence of some creature, 
one which I each moment expected to see cross the 
faint glow of the fire. 

“ Then all was still, and though I listened so in- 
tently I could hear nothing but my uncle’s breath- 
ing. So still did everything become that I began 
to feel less oppression at my chest, and ready to 
believe that it was all fancy, when suddenly the 
embers of the fire seemed to have fallen a little to- 
gether, for the glow grew stronger and there was 
a faint flicker which made my heart give one great 
bound. 

“ For there, between me and the fire, was what 
appeared to be the monstrous figure of an orang- 
outang, which had crawled close up to the fire and 
was looking at it. 

‘‘ The creature was on all fours and had its back 
to me, while the darkness of the night prevented me 
from making it out properly; but it looked to me 


98 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


very large and dark colored, and I had read that the 
strength of these creatures was enormous. 

It crouched there about five yards from where 
I lay, and as I wondered whether I had better shoot, 
I suddenly recollected that both barrels of my gun 
were loaded wth small shot, and that at such a 
distance, though the shot would well hang together, 
they were not certain to make a mortal wound; 
while the result would be that the monster would 
be more fierce and terrible than it was before. 

I don’t think I was afraid to fire, but I hesi- 
tated, and as I waited I felt that there was a possi- 
bility of the animal not being aware of our presence, 
for it was evidently the fire that had attracted it. 

But these hopes came to an end directly, and I 
raised my gun softly to my shoulder, for the crea- 
ture seemed about to crawl towards me. This was 
only for a moment or two though, and then there 
was a peculiar scratching noise as if the monster 
was tearing at the bushes, and I could dimly see its 
great back waving to and fro. Then all at once the 
scratching ceased, and it seemed to have thrown 
some twigs and leaves upon the fire, which blazed 
up, and my gun nearly fell from my hand. 

‘‘ ' Bony ! ’ I shouted ; and as my uncle sprang up 
and we crept out into the ruddy light spread by the 
burning wood, there was my monster in the shape 


LOST IN THE THICKET 


99 


of our trusty follower, dancing about like mad, and 
chattering away as he pointed to the fire, then to 
himself, then to a distance, and seemed to be trying 
to make us understand that he had seen the fire and 
tracked us by its light to where we were. 

‘‘ His delight seemed to know no bounds, for 
whenever he came to a pause in his performance 
and stood grinning at us, he broke out again, leap- 
ing about, running away, coming back, and shouting 
and laughing as he slapped himself loudly with his 
hands. I can compare his conduct to nothing but 
that of a dog who has just found his master. 

The question now arose what was to be done, 
and by a good deal of sign-making we asked Bony 
to lead us back to the camp ; but he shook his head 
and stamped and frowned, and to cut the matter 
short, threw some more wood on the fire, pushed us 
both into our leaf tent, lay down across the front, 
and went to sleep.^’ 

‘‘ Is that all,'’ sighed Tom, when the major had 
concluded his story. 

“ That’s all for to-night. It’s very late.” 

The listeners all voted that evening one of the 
most enjoyable and long to be remembered ones of 
their lives. 

“ Too bad Chot was not here to hear you,” de- 
plored Tom as they said good night. 


CHAPTER XII 


rS DISCONCERTING MESSAGE 

The following morning the two boys with Nellie 
rode over to Buena Vista in search of the vitriol 
with which to charge their temporary batteries and 
which they found without difficulty at the drug 
store. 

‘‘We will give Chot a surprise/’ said Fleet. 
“We will call him up on the wireless as soon as we 
get it working.” 

“ And tell him to hurry up with the stuff,” agreed 
Tom. “ Say that we are waiting for it.” 

“ There is a bill about the race,” interposed 
Nellie, calling their attention to a handbill displayed 
on the front of the Plaza Hotel, the main hostelry 
of the place, and before which a group of cowboys 
were standing. 

“ Let’s have a look at it,” said Fleet, jumping 
from his horse; an example quickly followed by his 
companions. 


100 


A DISCONCERTING MESSAGE 


lOI 


Here is the part they read which specially in- 
terested them : — 

GRAND RACE ! ! 

July the Fourth, at 3 P. M. 

Half mile straight away. 

Horses to be ridden by young people under 20 
years of age. 

Start at the Blue Pigeon; Finish at Plaza Hotel. 
First Prize, Handsome Leather Saddle. 
Second Prize, Mexican Bridle. 

Entrance now open. 

Come in and put down your name. 

** What do you think of it ? ’’ asked Fleet as he 
read the bill. 

** I have an idea,’’ drawled Tom. 

“ Brain getting busy ? ” inquired Fleet solicit- 
ously. “ Better salt it down for future use.” 
“What is it?” asked Nellie. 

“ Why don’t you and Fleet enter the race ? ” 

“ I wouldn’t dare,” demurred Nellie. 

“ Just the chance,” went on Tom, “ for you and 
Nellie to settle the question about your horses.” 

“ It isn’t a bad idea,” agreed Fleet, adding after a 
moment’s pause, “ for you,” dodging the blow Tom 
aimed at him. “ Why don’t you try it yourself ? ” 


102 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


Oh, I can’t ride like you can,” replied Tom, 
but I wouldn’t mind going in to help things along. 
Let’s see who is in it.” 

Going into the hotel the boys ran down the list 
of a dozen entries. 

Here you are,” said Tom, reading them off. 
“ Sehora Yette Mendoza, Sehorita Inez Cortinez, 
Miss Stella Wildes. Do you know any of them ? ” 
“ Yes,” replied Nellie, “ they live on the haciendas 
near us.” 

“ Here she goes,” said Tom, taking up the pen 
and writing on the sheet of paper. Miss Nellie 
Wharton, following it with Tom Pratt. 

Oh, no,” hesitated Nellie. 

“ You can’t back out now,” said Tom, after 
getting me into it.” 

“ Why, I didn’t,” said Nellie, adding doubtfully, 
what will uncle say ? ” 

“ Fancy that ! ” said Fleet, with such a fair imita- 
tion of the major’s tone that Nellie started and 
looked around as if she expected to see the major. 

“ That’s too bad,” exclaimed Nellie laughing, I 
almost thought he was here beside me.” 

‘‘ We will take all the blame if there is any,” vol- 
unteered Tom. “You don’t really have to ride if 
you don’t want to, you know.” 


A DISCONCERTING MESSAGE 


103 


“ReaUy?"' said Nellie. 

“You haven’t put your name down yet, Fleet,” 
admonished Tom. 

“ That is easily remedied,” said Fleet, taking up 
the pen and writing Philetus Kenby in a scrawl 
that ran almost across the page. “You want to 
look out for me, Nellie. I’m after that saddle.” 

“ I hope you will get it,” said Nellie generously. 

“ What do you say for a practice spin,” exclaimed 
Fleet when they had mounted and were on the way 
home. “ I’ll beat you both to the bridge,” indicat- 
ing a little bridge spanning a creek about a mile 
away. “ Fair start and no favors.” 

“ All right ! ” called Tom and Nellie, getting their 
horses into line. 

“ Now all ready and when I say go, go,” called 
Tom. 

“ Go ! ” he shouted a moment later, and the three 
horses were off down the road at a headlong 
gallop. 

“ Hurrah ! ” cried Fleet, as his horse drew ahead, 
“ Skyrocket will show you the way ! ” 

“Follow me!” called Nellie, a little later, when 
Raven sprang ahead with a bound. 

It was so evident a fact that Raven was the bet- 
ter horse, that after a brief run Fleet called out a 


104 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

surrender, and both riders drew in their reins, 
bringing their mounts to an easy trot. They had 
forgotten Tom, who of course was trailing be- 
hind, till of a sudden, as they neared the finish they 
had named, Tom’s horse made a spurt that carried 
him over the bridge in the lead. 

Keep your eye on me 1 ” drawled Tom. 

Getting back to the ranch the boys spent the 
afternoon in preparing their batteries and setting 
up the apparatus. It was almost dusk when they 
had the work completed. 

“Now then!” said Tom, when everything was 
adjusted, “ Chot ought to be there by this time. 
Let her go ! ” 

Fleet pressed the key, the spark flashed from 
point to point and the call for Rosado was sent 
vibrating through the air. 

“Get any answer?” asked Tom after the call 
had been repeated a half dozen times. 

“ No,” answered Fleet. “ Perhaps it won’t work 
so far.” 

“ Seems to be working all right,” continued Tom. 
“ She is making noise enough for a battle ship.” 

“No use/’ said Fleet, “it don’t go, or it don’t 
come, which ever you like. We will have to let it 
go until to-morrow.” 


A DISCONCERTING MESSAGE 105 

•* Let us go down and get the major to tell us 
another story/’ suggested Tom. 

‘‘ Well, what’s the news? ” asked the major when 
they went out on the lawn. 

‘‘ Can’t get anything,” answered Fleet. “ It 
doesn’t seem to work.” 

‘‘ Well, no news is good news, they say,” re- 
sponded the major. ‘‘ Did you ever hear of the 
wireless telegraphy that they have in Africa? ” 

“ Never did,” replied Tom. What kind is it ? ” 

** It is a drum telegraph,” said the major. “I 
don’t know as I can describe it to you, but the 
natives send messages from one village to another 
by means of a rolling drum beat. It is wondrously 
effective, too. They usually send them at night, 
when it is quiet and the sounds can be heard a long 
distance. Many a night I have listened to the 
rhythmical rolling of the drum, telling some news 
or conveying some warning, and heard the answer- 
ing beats from some distant village.” 

“ Could you understand it ? ” asked Fleet. 

“ Not any more than I could the clicking of the 
wireless,” replied the major, laughing. 

Can they send any messages they want,” in- 
quired Tom. 

I suppose they can,” said the major, “ for when 


io6 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

I was traveling through the country they sent news 
ahead of our advance so that the natives where we 
were going knew’ of our coming and all about us 
long before we got there. They send it very 
quickly, too, often hundreds of miles in a single 
night.” 

“ Which only goes to show,” observed Tom, 
philosophically, “ that all new things are old.” 

Tom and Fleet spent most of the following day 
going carefully over the apparatus, increasing the 
number and strength of the batteries, and testing 
it in every way until they felt that they had done all 
they could. 

“ Call him up again,” said Tom, at length. 
“ Chot will think he’s the whole thing if we can’t 
make it work without him.” 

Fleet pressed the key and crash after crash fol- 
lowed as he sent the call “ Rosado ! ” Rosado ! ” 
resounding through the air. 

“ Get anything,” asked Tom, after Fleet had re- 
peated the call again and again. 

“ No ! Yes, it’s coming,” said Fleet. “ Hallo ! 
Who is this?” 

What does it say,” interrupted Nellie. ‘‘ Wait 
until I call uncle and mamma.” 


A DISCONCERTING MESSAGE 


107 


*‘Yes, this is Rosado. Who is calling/’ the in- 
strument clicked. 

This is Red Oaks,” signaled Fleet. “ Is that 
Chot?” 

Who are you? ” asked Rosado again. 

1 “ Red Oaks,” replied Fleet “ This is Fleet.” 

“ Hello, Fleet, glad to hear from you. This is 
Mrs. Shelton. What did you say about Chot ? ” 

** Isn’t Chot ! ” began Fleet, but the other broke 
in, “ Wait a moment, the Fort is answering.” 

My regards to the Fort,” sent Fleet, not heeding 
the call for delay. 

Now what were you saying about Chot?” the 
instrument began again after a little pause. 

‘‘ Isn’t he there ? ” questioned Fleet. 

‘‘Why, no,” replied Mrs. Sheldon. “Isn’t he 
with you ? ” 

“ He went back to Rosado for something we 
wanted,” reported Fleet. “ Hasn’t he got there 
yet?” 

“ Not yet,” was the response. 

“ What do you think of it ? ” asked Fleet to the 
others. 

^ “ Probably delayed on the road somewhere,” said 

the major. “ No occasion to be alarmed.” 


io8 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

“Tell him to call us up when he comes/^ sig- 
naled Fleet. “Thank you.” 

“I hope nothing has happened to him,” said 
Fleet. “ What do you think we should do ? ” 

“Nothing yet,” said the major. “Give him 
time. He will likely call you up in a little while.” 


CHAPTER XIII 

A COMBAT 

For a considerable interval, the reader's atten- 
tion was diverted and the interest centered on the 
major’s story. The author, however, has not lost 
sight of the serious predicament of Chot, whom 
we were compelled to leave in very fact and lit- 
erally “ up a tree.” During those dreadful mo- 
ments, when the wild beast was creeping, slowly 
creeping and anon stopping, but always with each 
motion cutting down the distance between them, 
Chot seemed, as ’tis said of a drowning man, to 
live a life time of experiences in a single moment. 
In review before his mind seemed to pass all of the 
happenings of the past. 

The eyes of the beast seemed to fascinate and 
hold him powerless to move as a snake might 
charm its prey. Then he noted a tightening of 
the animal’s claws upon the branch. Was it pre- 
109 


no 


COMRADES IN HEW MEXICO 


paratory to a spring? Anyway he was awake now 
to a determined resistance. He drew from his 
pocket his large jack knife. Its great blade he 
had himself ground to acutest sharpness. At least 
his enemy should feel the temper of the steel. Per- 
haps, limited as to activity as he was by his 
cramped position, his movements hampered, he 
could even yet make an effective resistance. If 
he failed, at least it wouldn’t be for the want of 
trying. 

He opened the large blade of the knife, and 
grasped the handle firmly in his left hand. It 
must be a left handed defense, and he determined 
that into the blow when delivered, should be put 
his greatest strength. He even leaned far out to- 
ward his adversary, to get a longer sweep of the 
free arm, clinging the meantime with his right hand 
to the roughened but firm bark which afforded 
him an excellent and secure grasp. But now he 
heard again the voices of the bandits. 

‘‘ But no,” said Jose, from his place beneath the 
tree, but unseen by Chot, it is not safe with them 
around. There is something up,” he went on, peer- 
ing into the tree above him. He had detected a 
slight rustling sound. Come down ! ” he called, 
‘‘ before I put a bullet into you ! ” 


A COMBAT 


111 


Chot did not know whether he had been discov- 
ered or not but determined to risk it. He drew 
himself as close to the trunk of the tree as he could, 
but he was most concerned by those glaring eyes 
of the wild beast steadily advancing toward him. 

Drawing his pistol the bandit fired into the tree in 
the direction of the rustling he had heard. The 
sound of the report had not died away when there 
was a snarl, a swaying of the branches above his 
head, and with a scream of rage, a snarling, snap- 
ping bunch of gray fur which seemed all teeth and 
claws, flashed through the air full upon Josefs 
shoulders, where it clung, biting and clawing. 

“ A thousand demons ! yelled Jose in a panic. 

Shoot it! Kill it!’’ 

The bandit’s horse had started wildly as the wild 
animal sprang upon Jose and the latter was thrown 
to the ground; the beast was still clawing at his 
neck and head. 

Santa Madre ! ” shrieked Miguel, his horse 
dancing wildly about the road while he vainly tried 
to get a shot at the attacking beast. “ I told you 
they were devils, those Americanoes ! ” 

“ Diabolo ! ” shouted Jose, struggling to his feet. 
‘‘Why don’t you kill it, it is tearing me to pieces ! ” 
He succeeded now in drawing his knife. He 


II2 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


struck frantically at the vicious beast which, with 
a final snarl, sprang aside and darted away, fol- 
lowed by a fusillade of bullets. 

‘‘ What in the world has happened ? ” wondered 
Chot, who could hear the noise and cries of pain 
but could not see anything. Whatever it is I hope 
that it won’t come back this way. I don’t believe 
the beast saw me at all.” Chot was probably right 
in this conclusion, and taking advantage of the con- 
fusion below he now climbed down to a lower 
branch where he witnessed the conclusion of the 
battle. Jose, with the blood streaming from his 
neck where the cat had clawed and bitten him, and 
with his clothing hanging in tatters, was loudly ob- 
jurating Miguel for not coming to his rescue. 

“ Why didn’t you kill it ? ” he demanded. 

Not me,” returned Miguel. “ You can’t hurt 
them. I have had enough of chasing them. Come 
away before they kill you ! ” 

‘‘ You fool ! ” cried Jose, savagely, it was noth- 
ing but a big wild cat.” 

“They can take any shape they like,” replied 
Miguel with conviction. “ Now it is a wild cat, in 
the cave it was a bird. The saints protect us, there 
is another one.” Saying this and striking his spurs 
into his horse, Miguel galloped away, leaving his 


A COMBAT 


113 

companion to follow, which he did as soon as he 
had secured his horse. 

'' I wonder what is coming now,” thought Chot. 

It seems to be pretty lively here. Now that they 
have gone, it ought to be a good time to be thinking 
about getting away myself.” 

Making his way slowly down the tree until he 
could see the spread of the ground, he made out a 
large gray animal that was leisurely sniffing the 
space at the foot of the tree. He knew not if it 
were a fox or a wolf. It had the general appear- 
ance of the latter. Its coat was gray and it ap- 
peared to be a savage beast. Would he catch sight 
of Chot, or in some way make out his hiding place ? 
Such were the thoughts that rapidly ran through the 
mind of the imprisoned boy. 

Anyway,” he mused, “ it’s wise to ‘ bide a wee ’ 
upon my perch.” 

And now another startling sound filled the air. 
Looking in the direction from which it came, Chot 
saw another wild beast, somewhat smaller in size, 
with fur of a reddish tinge. It was unmistakably a 
fox, and again resounded its wild yap and defiant 
cry. 

On came the red fox, while his challenge was met 
with a snarl of defiance. Directly under Chot’s tree 


II4 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

the two met, muzzle to muzzle, and stood with teeth 
bared for the fray they were evidently determined 
upon. 

“ I wish Tom and Fleet were here,” mused Chot. 

There is room enough for several more on this 
grand stand and methinks this presages to be an 
interesting tussle.” 

No interchange of friendly sniffs or licks was 
there, no dallying, by way of prelude to the im- 
pending battle. The aspects suggested war to the 
finish. It mattered not, it seemed, who got the 
first snap ; “ give and take ” was the word and soon 
their cheeks were scored with gashes. 

The strength of the brutes’ jaws was terrible. 
This could be noted by the way the teeth cut to the 
bone, as well as by the clash and ring when they 
failed to get home. They were unequally matched, 
it seemed to Cho*t, who noted every move, and his 
sympathies were enlisted in behalf of the smaller 
and reddish fox. 

Besides the gray’s greater strength, his height 
gave him an advantage, whether they fought on all 
fours or as they mostly did, on their hind feet. 
The gray had the best of the exchanges and when 
the fight had lasted what Chot thought must be 


A COMBAT 


1 15 

the better part of an hour, the red began to give 
way. 

“ I wish I had a shooting iron of some kind,” 
thought Chot. ‘‘ I would like to take a hand in the 
game, in the interest of the under dog.” 

Doubtless observant of his advantage, the gray 
tried by his great weight to bear the other down. 
The red appeared to recognize the untoward con- 
ditions and of a sudden, to alter his tactics. With 
a wild rush and a howl of despair, he forced aside 
the gray’s muzzle and although he missed the 
shoulder, he fixed his holders deep into his op- 
ponent’s throat, with a grip like that of a strong 
trap, that clenches its teeth through what it closes 
upon. 

The enormous strength of the gray’s jaws was 
now of not the slightest avail. He struggled fu- 
riously to shake loose from the grip of death, 
flinging the red against the sharp-edged stones that 
were scattered about, till he howled between his 
clenched teeth, with pain. All to no avail, and 
gradually the gray’s struggle grew fainter and 
fainter and toward the end he ceased to quiver. 

At last the red let go his opponent and he lay 
helpless, black with grim and sweat and stained with 


ii6 COMRADES' IN NEW MEXICO 

blood. No creature could have presented a more 
broken, bedraggled appearance; in fact, he looked 
the beaten adversary he was. His great ears lay 
flat on his broad poll, the muscles of his chest 
twitched as his sides rose and fell. Then his 
breathing, for a time quick and distorted, ceased. 
He was dead. 

Chot, clinging in the branches of the tree, had 
been a fascinated observer and remained motionless 
for a few moments even after the victor in the 
combat had taken himself slowly and with painful 
effort, away. 

“ Well,” thought the philosophical Chot, I 
would not have been able an hour or two ago to 
figure out a satisfactory outcome to my predic- 
ament, but someway affairs always adjust them- 
selves rightly in the end. If it were not so I guess 
the world would have gone to pieces long ago.” 

After a few moments' delay and a careful survey 
of the surroundings to make sure that there were 
no other animals lurking in the bushes to spring 
upon him, Chot came down from the tree and made 
his way to a small stream that ran through the 
woods. He felt the need to satisfy his thirst be- 
fore looking for his horse and for a means of es- 
cape. 


A COMBAT 


117 

Stooping down he took a long drink and was 
dipping his hands in the water for a wash when he 
saw on the opposite side of the creek a man sitting 
on a horse. He was regarding Chot with peculiar 
interest and had a revolver in his hand. 


CHAPTER XIV 


CAPTURED 

‘‘ Howdy ! said the man. ‘‘ Got you all right, 
haven’t I ? ” 

“ Guess you have,” answered Chot, relieved to 
see that it was not one of the bandits, if I am the 
one you are looking for.” 

“ Sure am,” said the horseman, with broad 
western pronunciation of the word sure. “ Been 
looking for you for three days.” 

“ What for ? ” asked the puzzled Chot, who noted 
a ring of sincerity in the man’s voice. 

“ Reckon you know all right,” said the man. 

Stay where you are ! ” he added warningly. “ I 
have got the drop on you.” 

All right,” replied Chot. ‘‘ I’ll wait. I don’t 
know that I am in any hurry.” 

“ Sure not,” said the man, urging his horse into 
the creek and a moment later emerging beside Chot. 

ii8 


CAPTURED 


1 19 

“ Now have you any arms? ” asked the cowboy. 

Only these two,” replied Chot, raising his arms 
aloft, “ and they are fastened on.” 

Nevertheless the cowboy carefully felt in Chot's 
pockets to satisfy himself as to the truthfulness of 
the reply. 

What do you want with me ? ” demanded Chot. 
He saw that the man before him was a good- 
natured looking young fellow apparently about 
twenty-five years old. 

“To take you back to Montevista,” was the re- 
ply. “ Thought you got clean off, didn’t you ? ” 

“ You are on the wrong trail, pardner,” said 
Chot. “ I am not the man you are looking for.” 

“ Sure not,” said the cowboy sarcastically. 
“ They never are. Better go along peaceable.” 

“ Oh, I won’t run away,” said Chot. “ Rather 
go with you than not, if I can’t find my horse.” 

“ Well, you are a cool one,” said the cowboy with 
admiration. 

“ Got anything to eat ? ” asked Chot. “ I feel as 
if I would like something to eat to steady my 
nerves.” 

“ Sure,” said the cowboy, getting down from his 
horse. “ Don’t mind taking a snack myself.” 
While saying this he was taking out some crackers 


120 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


and dried meat from a bag he carried. “ Tain’t a 
sumptuous repast but it’s a heap sight better than 
nothing.” 

‘‘ We’ll at least agree on that point,” said Chot. 

That’s sure,” was the reply. 

‘‘ Now mayn’t I tell you who I am ? ” Noting the 
suspicious look in his captor’s face, Chot quickly 
added, I don’t want to get away.” 

‘‘ Who do you know hereabouts ? ” 

‘‘No one very near, the Shelton’s north of here 
and the Benson’s below,” answered Chot. 

‘The cowboy grinned satirically, “ couldn’t think 
of someone a little farther away, could you ? ” 

Nothing Chot could say was convincing, nor did 
the boy very much care. He did succeed in getting 
permission to follow up the trail of his horse, that 
is, as far as the edge of the wood. He noted the 
spot where the animal had changed his gait from a 
gallop to a walk, and noted too that the hoofprints 
indicated the direction taken to be toward the 
Shelton ranch. Possibly the bandits had feared to 
make a captive of the horse, evidently for some 
reason they had gone off in an opposite direction, 
leaving the animal to meet distruction or find shelter 
as chance should elect. 

“ Reckon the best place for ms to go is Wildes,” 


CAPTURED 


I2I 


remarked the cowboy thoughtfully. We can get 
a square meal there and a boss.” 

‘‘ That is an inducement/’ agreed Chot. ‘‘ Where 
is it?” 

“ A few miles to the east of here,” said the cow- 
boy. 

'' How am I going to get there ? ” asked Chot. 
Reckon you will have to hoof it, son,” replied 
the cowboy. “ There ain’t no trolley cars running 
that way.” 

‘‘ All right,” responded Chot. “ I guess I’m good 
for that distance. ‘ Lead on, Macduff ! ’ ” 

‘‘ And dashed be he who first cries, Hold, 
enough ! ” finished the cowboy. ‘‘ Reckon this yere 
mesa be a right likely kind of a place for witches. 
Think Shakespeare was ever out here ? ” 

Hardly,” replied Chot, laughing. “ Don’t 
think he was a cowpuncher.” 

It might have been a tiresome journey across the 
plains to the Wilde ranch, but Chot’s captor was in 
no hurry and he beguiled the way with song and 
story so that the pedestrian did not notice the dis- 
tance. The gong was being struck for the evening 
meal as they came up. 

“ Sure hit it on time/’ said the cowboy. 

“ Why, hello, son ! ” exclaimed Curly, who was 


122 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


standing by the corral as they came in. What are 
you doing over here, looking for trouble ? ” 

Never do that,” replied Chot, laughing as they 
shook hands. 

“ What have you done with your boss ? ” 

‘‘ Sent him on ahead. He ought to be at Rosada 
by this time,” answered Chot. 

“Buck you off?” enquired Curly, with a grin 
spreading from ear to ear. 

“ No,” replied Chot. “ I climbed off.” 

“Went up in the air?” suggested Curly. 

“ No, up in a tree,” corrected Chot. “ You see 
the bandits were chasing me and as they were 
coming pretty fast I just got up into a tree, out of 
the way.” 

“ Well, you are a bird,” commented Curly. 

“ I certainly wished at one time, that I could fly.” 

“Do you know the chap?” interjected Chot’s 
captor, whom Curly had saluted as they came up, 
but to whom he had not spoken. “ I came here to^. 
borrow a mount,” he continued. 

“Where you going?” asked Curly, turning to 
the other. 

“Taking this chap down to Buena,” replied 
Chot’s captor. 

“ What for ? ” asked Curly, with interest. 


CAPTURED 


123 


“ That’s for the court to say,” answered the* cow- 
boy. 

' What has he been doing? ” asked the astonished 
Curly. 

“ One of the gang that killed old man Velasquez,” 
said Chot’s captor. 

“ Say Tom ! you are just plumb * locoed ’ for 
sure,” exclaimed Curly, convulsed with laughter, in 
which Chot heartily joined. ‘‘ I alius knew you 
was jest a plumb idgit, but I didn’t suppose you was 
as bad as that. Who’s been giving you that steer ? ” 

“ Why, what’s worrying you ? ” asked the cow- 
boy, perplexed. 

Curly was doubled up with another paroxysm 
of laughter. When he could control himself suffi- 
ciently to speak he said : “ Ain’t nothing worrying 
me. But there will soon be something worrying 
you good and plenty. Who do you think you got 
there?” 

Kid McColl.” 

Oh, shucks ! ” groaned Curly, if you ain’t the 
limit.” 

What’s the matter with you any way ? ” de- 
manded the cowboy. 

Why that chap is one of the kids what’s stop- 
ping up to Shelton’s,” replied Curly. ‘‘ Met the 


124 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

whole lot of them the other day going down to 
Benson’s place. You’ve done it for fair.” 

‘‘Never mind,” put in Chot. “He treated me 
all right. He merely said to come along, and as it 
didn’t make any difference where I went, — if I 
could get a horse one place was as good as an- 
other.” 

“All right,” said Curly, “but it’s a joke all the 
same. Now,” he added, “ let’s go in to feed.” 

“ I guess I’ll move on,” said the crestfallen cow- 
boy, and move on he would notwithstanding Curly’s 
efforts to have him stay. 

“ He’s a good fellow,” explained Curly, “ and 
come to think of it, you do resemble somewhat the 
young fellow the sheriff and his posse are looking 
for.” 

“No harm done,” said Chot, “ and can I get a 
horse here ? ” 

“ Sure so,” said Curly. “ Get the whole ranch 
if you want it. Come along until I interduce you 
to the owner.” 

Chot roceived a cordial welcome from Mr. and 
Mrs. Wilde. He found that they had come to New 
Mexico from New York and they were heartily 
glad to see any one from home, as Mrs. Wilde still 


CAPTURED 


125 


called it. Their daughter Stella, a pretty girl, came 
in a few moments later. 

“ It does me good to meet any one from the old 
state,” Mr. Wilde declared, after they had sat 
down to the bountifully loaded table. “ What 
brings you away out here ? ” 

“ Oh, we met Mr. Shelton in New York last 
winter,” answered Chot, “ and as we, my chums and 
I, are always looking for new experiences, we were 
glad to accept his invitation to come out for a part 
of the summer.” 

“You seem to be finding adventures all right,” 
laughed Mr. Wilde, when Chot had concluded the 
telling of his experiences that day. 

“We have had our share,” Chot admitted laugh- 
ingly. 

“ Your perch in the tree-top seems to have served 
several purposes,” said Mr. Wilde. “ It effected 
your escape from the outlaws, and I have enjoyed 
listening to your graphic description of the fight 
of the foxes.” 

“You must be an awful brave fellow,” was the 
compliment very seriously uttered by Stella, and 
then she added, “I should have been frightened 
almost to death, I am sure.” 


126 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


Chot was appreciative, but of course made light 
of the matter and was prompted to say : 

I saw a peculiar fight a year or two ago. Not 
such large animals were engaged, but the battle was 
equally tragic and ferocious.’’ 

“ Won’t you tell us of it ? ” asked Stella. 

It was a contest between a squirrel and a robin. 
It took place in a tree back of our home at Morton- 
ville. The day was a hot one, and perhaps the 
little culprit who was the aggressor was affected 
by the heat, anyway it was a fight to the finish and 
lasted fully an hour.” 

** Of course the squirrel won? ” questioned Stella. 

** Wait and see. I was lying on the grass in the 
shade of a large horse-chestnut. I had been noting 
the happy antics of Mr. Squirrel for some time. 
At last I saw him crawl along a branch when, as 
he approached the tree trunk, Mr. Robin suddenly, 
and without warning, attacked him. It was evi- 
dently a surprise party, and no time was wasted in 
formalities. The bird simply sailed into the four- 
footed adversary beak and claw, and for a few 
seconds the furry victim was one of the most 
astonished beings I ever saw, but Captain Bushytail 
had as much spunk as Captain Redbreast. The 


CAPTURED 


127 


moment he recovered from his evident astonishment 
he returned the blows with all four of his busy lit- 
tle paws. Lightning exchange of passes followed. 
The robin again and again plunging its beak into 
the squirrel, and the tiny animal biting constantly at 
the bird’s breast. In a few minutes the winged 
combatant’s shirt front was ruddier than usual, and 
the animal’s glossy gray coat was streaked with 
scarlet. 

“ Again and again the opposing forces separated 
only to resume the contest. How many rounds un- 
der a proper version of the Queensboro rules were 
fought I cannot say. Finally Redbreast pushed 
Bushytail off the branch and the animal hit the 
ground with a plunk. 

** I gathered in the squirrel, for he was too ex- 
hausted to make an effort to escape. I looked him 
over and found that he had lost an eye, a piece of 
his nose, and one of his ears. Looking up I could 
see the robin pluming himself. Observing me he 
cocked his head jauntily, and then took a firm hold 
of the branch and burst into a song of triumph.” 

“ I am glad the bird won,” said Stella, still I 
don’t know but what I am just as sorry that the 
squirrel lost.” 


I 


128 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


'‘All contests come out right, I suspect,’' said 
Mr. Wilde. “ However that may be I certainly 
wish that you and your comrades would come and 
spend a few days with us, and tell us more of 
yourselves. Consider this an invitation. I think 
too, I will have you put in one of those wireless 
things for me.” 

“We will be glad to do that, although I was not 
out looking for an order to-day,” laughed Chot. 

“ That will be fine,” said Miss Stella. “If you 
could only make it a wireless telephone it would 
just suit mother and I.” 

“We are working on that now,” was Chot’s 
serious reply. “We can talk a little ways now but 
not far enough yet.” 

“ Oh, I was only joking. Is such a thing possi- 
ble? That will be splendid indeed,” cried the girl. 
“ Remember then to put us down for the first one.” 

“ You shall have it,” promised Chot, “ but now if 
you will allow me, I feel that I must be on my way.” 

Farewells were exchanged with the Wildes and 
Curly was delegated to pick out a mount for Chot. 

“ Say, Chot,” said Curly, when he started to get 
the horse with which the one addressed was to re- 
sume his journey to Rosada. “ I suspect you fel- 
lows play ball, don’t you ? ” 


CAPTURED 


129 


‘‘ A little/’ replied Chot, cautiously, “ and I am 
very fond of the game. All three of us are, for 
that matter.” 

“ Thought my observation didn’t deceive,” Curly 
went on. “ You see we are going to have a game 
over in the town on the Fourth.” 

“ So I heard,” admitted Chot, who, close 
student of everything he undertook, had full knowl- 
edge of all the fine points of the game. It was a 
subject upon which he was always glad to converse. 

“ It’s the rancheros against the Buena Vistas, and 
we are mighty anxious to win,” communicated 
Curly. 

While the animal selected was being saddled, 
Chot spoke of some up-to-date features of the 
game. Gave him points,” Curly said, and con- 
cerning which more will be said later on. 

Mounted now upon a good horse Chot pushed on 
for Rosada as rapidly as possible. Arriving there 
without further incident, he first of all sent to 
Red Oaks a wireless report of his safety. 

His mount with which he had parted when pur- 
sued by the outlaws, had not been heard of, but 
was later located at another ranch. The animal 
had suffered no permanent harm. 


CHAPTER XV 


SOME VARIED EXPERIENCES 

Is that a prophecy ? ” asked Chot, as a consid- 
erable party of which he was one drew near to the 
town of Buena Vista on the morning of the Fourth. 

What is that? ” inquired Tom. 

** Why, what the band is playing/’ laughed Chot, 
humming a strain of the music. 

“ I guess it is,” admitted Tom. 

Despite the noise of shouts and laughter, inter- 
mingled with the firing of guns and pistols, the tune 
the band was playing: “ There Will be a Hot Time 
in the Old Town To-night,” came faintly to their 
ears. 

'' Maybe it is the only piece they can play,” sug- 
gested Fleet. 

Don’t shoot the band, they are doing their best,” 
quoted Tom. 

Mr. and Mrs. Shelton with their Kttle daughter 
and Chot had arrived at the ranch the previous 
130 


SOME VARIED EXPERIENCES 131 

<iay and now the comrades, the major, Mrs. Whar- 
ton and Nellie had ridden over early from Red Oaks 
to see and take part in the celebration. 

“ You are sure just in time,” cried Curly, greet- 
ing them as they rode into the town. Resplendent 
in a glowing red sash and carrying a big flag in his 
hand, together with several other cowboys similarly 
adorned, he was galloping up and down the one 
street of the town, bossing the job, as he put it. 

‘‘ What is going on, just now? ” asked Chot. 

“ The grand procesh is just about to move,” re- 
plied Curly. 

“ Going to have a parade ? ” asked Tom. 

** Parade ! ” exclaimed Curly in disgust. “ Thun- 
der! no. This is a grand procession. Couldn^t 
have no proper celebration of the great and glorious 
Fourth of July without a grand procession.” 

Who is going to parade, procesh, I mean,” asked 
Tom laughing. 

Oh, most everybody,” said Curly. “ First 
there is the band. You heard the band? ” 

“ Yes,” admitted Chot. “We couldn't very well 
miss it.” 

“ Reckon that's so,” Curly confessed. “ That's 
what it's here for. Real good band that, onto the 
job all right, though their repertoire is some limited. 


132 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


Hired ’em to play all day from the rising up of the 
sun to the sitting down thereof and then some more 
and they are doing it most conscientious. Had a 
' Hot Time/ sixteen times already. Reckon they 
think it’s an American hymn. They ain’t so much 
on martial tunes but when it comes to the soft 
chords for the dance, oh ! say, they are just ' it.’ ” 

I suppose the band is a whole show in itself,” 
remarked Fleet. 

“ Not by a keg full,” replied Curly. “We are 
going to have a division of leading citizens of the 
county on horseback. Reckon you’ll come in there 
if we don’t corral you with the distinguished guests. 
Rather shy on them. Ain’t got no firemen or mili- 
tary but we got some floats, paregorical. One of 
‘em’s a corker : forty-six of the prettiest girls in the 
county in a bunch, one for each state and, oh say, 
New Mexico’s a stunner. But you ain’t rigged out 
no proper way for a celebration. I’ll fix you out,” 
whirling about his steed and galloping off to return 
a few moments later with a bunch of flags which he 
distributed among the party. 

“We will form the interested spectators,” ob- 
served the major. 

“ Not if the coh’t knows itself,” declared Curly, 


SOME VARIED EXPERIENCES 


133 


** New Mexico expects every man, and particularly 
the ladies, to do their duty, or she’ll know the 
reason why. You can fall in right yere! ” 

“ I suppose we will have to obey the voice of 
duty,” said the major. 

“ There doesn’t appear to be any other course,” 
laughed Mr. Shelton. 

The band which, by this time had taken its po- 
sition at the head of the somewhat irregular line, 
now started off with I’m Afraid to Go Home 
in the Dark,” to which inspiring air the procession 
moved off; the major, Mr. Shelton and the com- 
rades forming a file. 

“ Seems to be pretty nearly everybody we know 
here,” remarked Chot, looking about him. 

“ Seems to be,” coincided Tom. There is the 
sheriff over there,” waving a greeting to the officer 
who had a place among the distinguished guests. 

There are the bandits that chased me,” went on 
Chot. ‘‘The ones we saw in the cave.” 

“What are they?” asked Tom, “distinguished 
guests ? ” 

“ Must be leading citizens,” concluded Fleet. 

“Shall we tell the sheriff about them?” Tom 
questioned 


COMRADES IN NtW MEXICO 

fL ■ 

\ “ Better not, I think,’* advised Chot. It would 

only stir up trouble, and we can look out for our- 
selves.” 

“ That’s right,” agreed Fleet. ‘‘ Never mind the 
bandits. We are out for fun to-day.” 

Ladies and gentlemen ! ” announced the chair- 
man of the committee, after the parade had moved 
up and down the street. “ The next thing on the 
programme will be a foot race ; one-half mile dash, 
straight away, for five dollars in gold, donated by 
the public spirited citizens of the metropolis of 
Grant County.” 

Come along, son,” said Curly, reappearing, to 
Fleet. “ I’ve backed you against the field.” 

** I’m not in it,” demurred Fleet. 

Sure, you are in it,” asserted Curly. Just got 
to do it. Can’t get out of it, no how. Just think 
of the patriots who fought and bled.” 

‘‘But I’m not in training,” protested Fleet. 

“ Ha ! Ha ! ” laughed Curly. “ Didn’t I see you 
practice with the bull for pace maker ? ” 

“Go in. Fleet,” urged Chot, laughing. “You 
can’t refuse after that. Besides, you were trained 
■fine at school.” 

i “ But this is different,” hesitated Fleet. “ Any- 
way, I haven’t my running togs.” 


SOME VARIED EXPERIENCES 135 

That’s easy,” urged Curly, I’ll fix you out.” 

** What’s the course ? ” enquired Fleet. 

‘‘ Quarter mile track, twice around,” was the 
answer. 

How many are entered ? ” asked Fleet, relent- 
ing. 

“Ain’t more than half a dozen,” replied Curly. 
“ You see we cowpunchers ain’t much on two legs. 
There’s a greaser over there that’s sure some on the 
skedaddle. We’re sure counting on you to hold up 
the glory of the States.” 

“ Pretty poor dependence,” objected Fleet. 

“ Never know what you can do until you Have 
done it,” urged Chot. 

“You mean until you have tried,” corrected 
Tom. 

“ Sure 1 ” agreed Curly. “ You want to look out 
for the greaser,” he added as they went along. 
“ He’ll crowd you into the corner and trip you up 
if he can.” 

“ Keep on the outside and let him make the pace, 
up to the finish,” counseled Chot. 

“ Oh, Fleet’s been there before,” broke in 
Tom, encouragingly. 

There were eight contestants lining up at the 
mark when Fleet, rigged out by Curly, took his 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


136 

place at the end of the line. They were stalwart, 
muscular fellows, among whom Fleet looked like 
a grayhound in a pack of mastiffs. 

‘‘ Are you all ready ? ” called the starter. One ! 
Two ! Bang ! ” snapped the pistol, and the contest- 
ants were off down the road. It was but a 
moment, however, before the Mexican, against 
whom Curly had warned Fleet, had taken the lead 
and was running easily in front, Fleet tracking 
lightly behind. 

Take it easy, Fleet ! coached Chot, from the 
inside, where he, with Tom, were speeding along. 

“Hi! what are you doing!’’ yelled some of the 
Mexican onlookers, scowling at Chot. That don’t 
go!” 

“ Sure it goes ! ” shouted Curly, taking up the 
cry. “ Take it easy. Fleet, you’ll get there yet.” 

For the first circuit of the track the racers went 
on with but slight changes in position, except that 
the Mexican was slightly increasing his lead over 
the field, with Fleet holding his own. The pace 
now was beginning to tell, however, on some of the 
stouter ones, and they were dropping back. As the 
race went on, more and more of the runners lost 
ground, until there was a distance of several yards 
between the two leaders and the stragglers. 


SOME VARIED EXPERIENCES 


137 


The Mexican was still in front, running easily, 
with Fleet just behind him. 

‘ Evidently Fleet was the only one the other run- 
ner feared, for he moved from side to side in front 
of Fleet to prevent him from getting ahead. 

Now, then ! Hit it up. Fleet ! ” called Chot as 
the contestants made the last turn and neared the 
finish, where all the onlookers were standing. 

“ Go it. Fleet,'' shrilly called the greatly excited 
Nellie, waving her flag with frantic energy. 

Fleet made a spurt that brought him close beside 
the leader, who changed his course again so as to 
block him. 

“ That's the style ! " yelled the friendly cow- 
boys, “ whoop her up. Fleet." 

“ Vamos, Pepe ! " shouted the Mexicans, encour- 
agingly, to their champion. Correr ! Run ! 
Run ! " 

The two were a long distance in advance of the 
others and running almost side by side, with the 
Mexican slightly ahead and still endeavoring to 
crowd Fleet to the side. 

They were now but a dozen yards from the line 
with the Mexican still in the lead. 

Pepe, Pepe ! " shouted the Mexicans. Pepe 
wins — " 


138 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


** Oh, he is beaten ! ” cried Nellie, almost in 
tears. 

“ Look out. Fleet,” yelled the major with a roar. 
“ The bull is coming!” 

Dropping back for an instant, and then darting 
to the outside. Fleet made a spurt that carried him 
with the swiftness of a bird across the line a frac- 
tion of a second ahead of his rival. 

Hurrah I” shouted the cowboys, with a fusil- 
lade of pistol shots, as Fleet crossed the line. 
“ Ain't nothing slow about us ! ” and the band broke 
in with There Will be a Hot Time.” 

“ Good boy. Fleet ! ” exclaimed Curly. “ You 
did us proud ! ” 

“ Couldn’t have done it better myself,” com- 
mented Tom, giving Fleet a slap on the back that 
almost floored him. 

The next few hours the comrades passed in look- 
ing at the cattle-tying contests and the exhibition 
of rough riding, which made them feel, as Tom ex- 
pressed it, ‘‘ as if we were just starting in the Kin- 
dergarten class of the riding school.” 


CHAPTER XVI 

SPORTS 

** Please clear the road for the young people’s 
race I ” shouted Curly and his aids. They were 
riding up and down the street, trying to press back 
the crowd and make an opening for the race, a 
task which was accomplished with infinite difficulty. 

*‘What do you think about our going into the 
race?” asked Tom of Fleet. 

Don’t think we have any business in there,” re- 
plied Fleet. 

“Come along!” admonished Curly. “We want 
you. Only riders, girls and boys, under twenty, 
allowed to compete.” 

“ Thank you,” replied Fleet, laughing ; “ we are 
not in it, then.” 

“ Nothing but straight away riding,” assured 
Curly, who would not be denied. “ Perfectly safe. 
All you have to do is to sit on your horse and get 
there.” 


139 


140 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

“ That isn’t much,” drawled Tom, ‘‘ sometimes.” 

“ We will have to go in on Nellie’s account, I 
suppose,” observed Fleet. 

“ Do you think she wants to ride ? ” questioned 
Tom. 

** The easiest way to find out is to ask her,” sug- 
gested Fleet. 

“ You are fertile in brilliant suggestions,” com- 
mented Tom. “ Suppose you ask her.” 

“ That is soon done,” replied Fleet, going over 
to where Nellie was standing with the major and 
Mrs. Wharton and Mrs. Shelton. Are you going 
to ride in the race, Nellie? ” 

“I would like to,” replied Nellie, '^but I don’t 
know what — ” 

“ Of course she is,” interposed Miss Wilde who, 
with her parents, had joined the party. “ Isn’t she, 
Mrs. Wharton?” 

“ I don’t think she had better.” 

“ I want her to ride with me,” interrupted Miss 
Wilde, “ I feel quite lonesome ; the only American 
girl.” 

She is only half an American, you know,” said 
the major with a glance at Nellie. But she can 
ride with the best of them. Go in, Nellie, and if 


SPORTS 


141 

you don’t come out in the front, I’ll never own you 
for a Britisher again.” 

Come along then,” called Fleet. “We will do 
pur best to keep you there.” 

“That’s the style, boy,” commended the major, 
“ if you weren’t a good American you would be a 
first-rate Englishman.” 

“I guess it’s six of one to half a dozen of the 
other,” replied Fleet, as he and Tom went off with 
the girls after their horses. 

There were not more than a dozen entries for the 
race, the cowboys apparently preferring more 
strenuous sport. 

“Are you in to win?” asked Tom of Fleet, as 
they lined up. 

“ I would like to win, of course,” replied Fleet, 
“ but—” 

“ But what ? ” echoed Tom. 

“ I had rather see the girls win,” replied Fleet. 

“ Me, too,” agreed Tom. “ But say ! ” 

“ What now ? ” asked Fleet. 

“ Do you see who’s here? ” observed Tom. 

“No. Who?” asked Fleet. “Phew!” he 
whistled as he glanced about him. “ Looks as if 
we would have our work cut out for us,” he com- 


142 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


merited, as he saw the bandit, Jose, line up among 
the contestants. 

‘‘ What are they doing here, do you think ? ” 
asked Tom, uneasily. 

“ The same as we are, I suppose,'' rejoined Fleet. 
‘‘ Going to ride in the race, evidently." 

‘‘ Surely he must be more than twenty. I don't 
like it," declared Tom, “ and I don't trust him." 

“ What can he do ? " asked Fleet. 

‘‘ I don't know," replied Tom, “ but he will bear, 
watching." 

‘‘ I am not the only one who has brilliant ideas," 
rejoined Fleet, laughing. 

“ What are you two talking so earnestly about I 
asked Nellie. 

“ Whether Tom or I shall take the saddle," pre- 
varicated Fleet, smiling. 

“You needn't worry about that," laughed Miss 
Wilde. “ I have decided on that for myself." 

“Then there is nothing more to be said," re- 
marked Fleet, gallantly. 

“ All ready ! " called the starter. The contestants 
lined up ; the two girls were at the right, then Tom 
and Fleet, the two comrades, and Jose and another 
at the left. 


SPORTS 


143 


Get back into line, there ! ” called the starter to 
Jose, who was a half length in front of the rest. 

I am in line,” grumbled the bandit, neverthe- 
less backing his horse. 

“ One ! Two ! ” called the starter, when he had 
them in line. The pistol snapped and they were all 
off in a gallop. 

'' Keep your eyes open for tricks,” called Tom as 
they started. 

All right,” sang Fleet in reply. 

Though tame enough to the rough riding of the 
cowboys, it was a wild gallop that made the boys’ 
hearts beat faster. Excited with the noise and 
shouting, the horses were tearing along at top 
speed. They were all closely bunched, all riding 
nearly neck and neck, first one and then another 
forging a little ahead. It was anyone’s race, but as 
they came to the last quarter Jose’s horse then drew 
ahead and was easily first at the finish, the two 
girls with their mounts running neck and neck, fol- 
lowing some half dozen lengths behind. The boys, 
as they later described it, were '' out of sight.” 

But the event was not to end without a contro- 
versy that at one time gave indications of a serious 
outcome. 


144 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


I don’t think that race was fair,” Tom protested 
to the judges. I believe that fellow, Jose, is 
much older than twenty.” 

‘‘ What biting you ? ” sneered the Mexican. 
“ You were not in it, anyway.” 

“ No,” said Tom, ‘‘ but I want to see fair play.^’ 

“ What reason have you for your statement ? ” 
asked the sheriff, who was one of the judges. 

Tom was embarrassed for a reply and could not 
but admit to himself that he had made a rash asser- 
tion and had made a statement he could not sustain. 
He stepped up to the sheriff, however, and said a 
word quietly in his ear. 

“ Are you sure of that? ” asked the officer of the 
law in a low voice. 

“ Positive, Mr. Sheriff, Chot and I saw him dis- 
tinctly. Here is Chot now, ask him.” 

In a whispered conference Chot not only con- 
firmed Tom’s report but mentioned briefly the cir- 
cumstances concerning his trip to Rosado and the 
efforts of the outlaws, of whom Jose was one, to 
capture, perhaps make way with him. 

‘"I don’t see that I can do anything without 
further evidence,” mused the sheriff. I imagine 
you are right about his age, though,” he continued ; 
“ anyway, our little talk has caused him to forget 


SPORTS 


145 


his prize. See, he is making oi¥ as fast as he can 

go-” 

Sure enough, it was as the sheriff said. Jose had 
been edging away a little till he suddenly turned tail 
and fled as fast as his horse could carry him. A 
little further talk and the judges announced their 
decision. ‘‘ The leader disqualified for being over 
the age limit, and the race a tie.’* 

'' Run it off ! ” shouted some. Draw lots ! ” 
called others. 

“ Settle it any way you like,” decided the judges. 

“ Draw straws for it,” suggested Tom. 

Which was done, and by “ a straw vote,” as the 
major dubbed it, the saddle went to Miss Wilde, 
and the bridle to Nellie. 


CHAPTER XVII 

THE BXLL game 


And now the base ball game enlisted the attention 
of the assembled company. The comrades were 
quite surprised to note the efficiency shown by 
some few of the players, notably the pitchers on 
both the nines. A half dozen runs were made by 
each side during the first two innings, thereafter 
both box men were practically unhitable. 

‘‘IPs a jolly game,*’ called Chot to Curly, who 
was playing at first. 

“Jolly long and no end in sight,” answered the 
baseman, who was also captain. The full nine in- 
nings had been played and the tie unbroken. 
“ Say,” he added, quietly, walking up to the spot 
where the three chums were sitting, “ can’t we fix 
up one of those tricks you told me about? ” 

“ Why don’t you try? ” enquired Chot, briefly de- 
tailing to his chums the points referred to. 

146 


THE BALL GAME 


147 


It’s all too new to us,” demurred Curly. “ I 
tell you what, in our half of this inning I will be 
first to bat. I have been hitting their pitcher pretty 
well. I’ll get lame and if I make a hit, have Fleet 
run for me.” 

Fleet protested, but after a moment’s argument, 
acceded to the plan proposed. 

Sure enough, when the short-stop, by a throw to 
first, of an infield grounder, retired the third Buena 
Vista man, Curly, of a sudden, developed a sprained 
ankle. He was a popular fellow and naturally the 
supposed accident excited the sympathy of many, 
the ladies, particularly. He was of course ap- 
plauded, when he again took his place at the bat, 
the umpire announcing that Fleet Kenby would run 
for the injured batsman. 

The first ball pitched went wild, but the next 
two, in the umpire’s mind, were fair and it looked 
to the chums as if their plan was going to fail. 
The next ball was one just to Curly’s liking, and 
with a sharp resounding crack it flew away toward 
right field, well out of reach of any of the players. 

Fleet, on the instant, was off at a bound. “A 
sure base hit,” was the cry, but Fleet had calculated 
better, and, speedy runner that he was, he rounded 
first, made straightway for second, and was safely 


148 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

there when the ball was returned to the short-stop, 
then covering second. 

“ The next batsman is all right,’' whispered 
Curly to Chot. “ He is just the one to carry for- 
ward our little scheme.” He was a big, rawboned 
fellow, and his long fly to right was easily caught, 
but it was a sacrifice and served its purpose, for 
Fleet advanced to third. 

Now, Chot, it’s up to you,” encouraged Curly, 
as after a whispered word to the umpire, that 
official announced that Chot Duncan would bat 
for Sm)d;he.” 

Everyone was on tiptoe. What meant this put- 
ting in of another outsider? Fleet’s presence was 
explained by Curly’s supposed mishap, but the 
onlookers were mystified by the new move. 

Chot, standing at the bat, not even in uniform, 
looked out of place and ungainly. The first ball 
pitched to him was far from being a good one and 
Chot ignored it, but the next was fair. He struck 
at it but failed to connect and there went up a 
howl of derision. The opposing side and their ad- 
vocates were in high glee. The next ball pitched 
was purposely very wide and Chot made no move. 
Friends of the cowboy nine breathed a little easier. 
He would not bite at everything, but astonished 


THE BALL GAME 


149 


and dumbfounded they were at the next move, or 
rather failure to move, for a good ball he made 
no effort to hit and Strike two/' called the um- 
pire. 

Every one was watching now in breathless ex- 
pectancy. The pitcher in the box had a broad grin 
upon his face. In his estimate of Chot as a bats- 
man, he had reached the conclusion that he had 
nothing to fear here. He wound up and pitched a 
purposely very wide ball, intending that the next 
should be a teasing curve that would tempt the 
batsman and end the striker's try at the bat. 

Chot now signaled Fleet. The critical moment 
had come. The hit and run trick was on the tapis. 
Would it work? Chot stood listless, apparently 
indifferent, his bat just easily held in hand. Now 
came the ball delivered by the pitcher, and merely 
by the slightest motion of the bat did Chot inter- 
, fere with the ball's progress to the catcher's mitt. 
Just a little to the right of the plate droped the ball 
to roll a dozen feet toward first base. 

Then instantly from an awkward-appearing, list- 
less batsman Chot became the agile runner, jumping 
away, he was seen streaking it like mad for first. 
The catcher threw aside his mitt and ran to pick 
up the ball. Then stepping to one side of the base 


150 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

line, he threw straight and swift to the initial base. 

Batter out,” of course, and so called the 
umpire, but what is happening on the other side of 
the diamond? Fleet, at the signal from Chot, had 
stolen along the base line as far as he dared and 
instantly Chot was off, down Fleet came towards 
home. 

Shouts and cries resounded. The catcher dis- 
covered what was going on. The first baseman 
quickly saw the possible outcome of the trick and 
fired the ball to his catcher. Too late, though, it 
was. Tearing down the line came Fleet, ending in 
a glorious slide to the home plate. 

Safe ! ” cried the umpire. 

Hurrah ! Whoopee, we win ! ” yelled Curly, 
jumping about, forgetful entirely of that sup- 
posedly sprained ankle. 

“ Seven to six in favor of the cowboys,” an- 
nounced the umpire. 

“ Going ! Going ! Gone ! ” called Curly. '' That 
was a trick worth while. Three cheers for the 
kids ! ” They were given with a will, a demonstra- 
tion in which the Buena Vista crowd graciously 
joined. 

‘"Well, boys,” said Mr. Shelton, a short time 


THE BALL GAME 


isr 

later, ‘‘ what do you think about going back ? Have 
you had enough of excitement yet ? '' 

** I think I have had enough experience of one 
kind and another for one day,^' admitted Fleet. 

‘‘We have tried to do our part in the celebrating,. 
I think/’ added Tom. 

“ I don’t think anybody will dispute that,” 
laughed the major. “ You have been almost as 
much in evidence to-day as the band; one couldn’t 
ask more than that.” 

“ It will be getting dark soon, and we ought to- 
be on our way,” went on Mr. Shelton. 

“ We are not afraid to go home in the dark if 
the band is,” asserted Tom. 

“We are ready whenever you want to go,” said 
Chot. 

“ The Wildes are going with us,” added the 
major. “ It is getting a bit too lively here now.” 

It had grown quite dark by the time the party 
had started. The night was hot with a threat of 
a thunder storm in the air, but the distance to Red 
Oaks was short and they rode slowly on the way. 
The fireworks display was beginning in the town 
as they left and “ The rockets’ red glare ; bombs 
bursting mid air,” made the sky brilliant as the 


152 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

young people turned, every now and then, to look 
back at it. 

They had gone almost half the distance to the 
ranch and were near to a woods through which the 
road ran when Tom, who with Chot, was riding in 
front, suddenly pulled up his horse with an excla- 
mation. 

“What’s the matter, Tom?” demanded his side 
partner. 

“ I don’t know that there is anything,” answered 
Tom, “but I thought I saw a flash of something 
in the woods.” 

“What did it look like?” questioned the major, 
who was just behind and had also stopped his 
horse, bringing the entire party to a halt. 

“ It looked like a flash of metal,” replied Tom. 

“As I thought,” commented the major. “Just 
the place for an ambush.” 

“An ambush?” questioned Mr. Shelton. 
“ Why, who in. the world do you suppose would 
ambush us?” 

“ The outlaws might,” replied the major, tersely. 
“ There were doubtless plenty of them at Buena 
Vista to-day, and that Jose slipped away when he 
thought the sheriff was getting interested.” 

“ Well, this is a nice state of affairs ! ” declared 


THE BALL GAME 


153 


iVIr. Shelton. “ If we can be held up like this on 
a main traveled road.’’ 

“What are you going to do?” asked Chot. 
“Fight them?” 

“ If we hadn’t the ladies along we might do it,” 
replied Mr. Shelton, “but I think it would be 
wiser to ride back to the town and wait until morn- 
ing. We could get accommodations for the ladies 
at the Plaza. If we tried to fight they would have 
all the advantage. They could see us when we 
couldn’t see them.” 

“Are you sure, Tom, there is any one in the 
woods?” asked Chot. 

“ The point is well taken,” agreed the major. 
“ We have been acting on an assumption that may 
have no foundation, A little reconnoitering would 
be in order.” 

“ Tom and I will ride on ahead,” suggested Chot. 
“ Perhaps we can find out if there is any one 
there.” 

“ That is the best thing to do, but I will go with 
you. The others may wait here until we come back. 
Now keep apart and be careful,” advised the major 
as the three rode off. 

They walked their horses slowly toward the 
wood, watching intently for any movement or noise 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


IS4 

that would disclose the presence of anyone in 
hiding. 

‘‘If there is anyone there, I suppose they must 
have seen us,’' remarked Chot, as they stopped 
within a short distance of the edge of the woods. 

“What of it?” asked Tom. 

“If they hadn’t,” went on Chot, “ one of us might 
have slipped up on foot to reconnoiter. 

“ Too late for that now. I can’t see or hear 
anything, can you ? ” went on Tom. “ Guess I 
must have been mistaken. Hallo ! ” As Tom 
spoke there came a flash of lightning which was 
bright enough to reveal to the boys the figures of 
at least two men lurking in the shadows of the 
woods. “ They are there, all right, and we are 
^oing to have a storm, too, quicker than we ex- 
pected.” 

With this there was another glare of light and 
•quickly the roll of thunder was heard. Evidently a 
storm was soon to break upon them. 

Finding that they were discovered and evidently 
not seeking a fight in the open, with each flash of 
light now quickly repeated, the outlaws could be 
seen riding away. “ An army of them,” said Tom. 
But in reality not six, if there were so many, the 
boys concluded on second thought. 


THE BALL GAME 


155 


The major and the two chums hurried back to 
their fellow journeyers, reporting the assuring news 
that the coast was clear. All hurried homeward 
and were fortunate enough to get under cover just 
as a torrent of rain began to fall. 


CHAPTER XVIII 


AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SNAKE 

‘‘Another evening at the major’s/’ cried Fleet. 
“ What could be better than another story ? ” 

“ Nothing,” coincided Tom, “if the major be the 
relator.” 

“ The others may not agree,” laughed the major, 
protestingly. 

“ Try them out,” cried the comrades. 

“As you will,” acceded the major. “ If I must, 
I must, and I will go on from where I left off the 
other night.” 

For Chot’s edification, the major first told of the 
circumstances that had made him the companion of 
his uncle in a journey to the uninhabited island. 

“ When I opened my eyes again, after that night 
of fright, the sea was dancing and sparkling, and 
the leaves waving gently in the soft warm breeze. 

“ I said very little to my uncle about my alarm, 
156 


AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SNAKE 157 

feeling sure that he would laugh very heartily at 
my mistake, but it was upon my mind that it was 
time I grew to be more manly and brave, and not 
so ready to be frightened at everything I could not 
directly understand. It seemed so shocking, too, 
for I might in my cowardly fear have shot poor 
Bony, who was one of the best and truest of fel- 
lows, and seemed never so happy as when able to 
do something for me. 

“ I determined to try hard not to be such a weak 
coward, but I have often thought since, that if any 
ordinary man had been placed in the same situation 
he would have been as nervous as I ; for to awake 
out of a deep sleep in a dark forest in a wild land, 
where dangerous beasts might be lurking, to hear a 
peculiar rustling noise, and through the faint light 
to make out the figure of the black, looking big and 
indistinct as he crept on all fours, was, to put it as 
you may, very startling. 

We made our way to camp very easily and I 
was hungry enough by the time breakfast was 
ready. Soon after the meal we started out on a 
tramp and to look for some birds. 

After a walk of an hour or so we came to 
rather a dense patch of undergrowth. I noticed 
that the ground beneath was very soft and full of 


158 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


water, evidently from some boggy springs. There 
was a great deal of cane and tall grass, with water 
weeds of a most luxuriant growth, and the place 
felt hot and steamy as we forced our way through, 
till, as I was going first and parting the waving 
canes right and left with my gun barrel, I stepped 
upon what seemed to be a big branch of a rotten 
tree that had fallen there, when suddenly I felt my- 
self lifted up and jerked back, while at the same 
moment the canes and grass crashed and swayed, 
and something seemed to be in violent motion. 

“ ‘ Is it an earthquake, uncle ? ’ I said, looking 
aghast at the spot from whence I had been jerked. 
** ‘ Yes, Dick, and there it goes. Fire, boy, fire ! ’ 
“ He took rapid aim a little to the left, where the 
canes and broad-leaved plants were swaying to and 
fro in a curious way, just as if, it seemed then, a 
little pig was rushing through, and following his 
example I fired in the same direction. 

But our shots seemed to have no effect, and 
whatever it was dashed off into a thicker part, 
where it was too swampy to follow even if we had 
been so disposed. 

“ ‘ Your earthquake has got away for the pres- 
ent, Dick,’ said my uncle. ' Did you see it ? ’ 

‘‘ I admitted that I had not. 


AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SNAKE I59 

‘ But you must have trodden upon it, and it 
threw you back/ 

‘ No, uncle; I trod upon the trunk of a small 
tree, that was all/ 

“ ' You trod upon a large serpent, my boy,’ he 
exclaimed. 

“ ' Ugh ! ’ I ejaculated; and I made a jump back 
onto more solid ground. 

** ‘ The danger has passed now,’ he said smiling at 
my dread; ‘but really I could not have believed 
such a creature existed on so small an island as 
this.’ 

“ ‘ Oh, uncle ! ’ I cried, ‘ I shall never like to go 
about again for fear of treading upon another.’ 

“ ‘ You will soon get over that,’ he said, ‘ and 
perhaps we may have the luck to shoot the brute. 
I don’t think we did it much mischief this time, 
though I got a good sight of it as it glided amongst 
the canes.’ 

“ ‘ Why, we had no shot in our guns, uncle,’ I 
cried; ‘we took them out so as not to knock the 
sun-birds about too much.’ 

“ ‘ Of course ! ’ cried my uncle. ‘ How foolish 
of me not to remember this ! ’ 

“ We had both reloaded now, and then, without 
heeding a shout from Bony, we stood looking in the 


i6o COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

direction taken by the reptile, though now all the 
luxuriant canes and grasses were quite still. 

“‘What do you say, Dick?' said my uncle. 
‘ Shall we follow the monster and try and shoot it ? ' 
‘ It must be forty or fifty feet long, uncle,' I 
said, feeling a curious creeping sensation run 
through me. 

“ ‘ Forty or fifty nonsenses, my boy ! ' he said 
laughing. ‘ Such serpents as that only exist in 
books. They rarely exceed twenty feet where they 
are largest. That fellow would not be fifteen. 
What do you say — will you come ? ' 

“ ‘ Ye-es, uncle,' I said hesitatingly, feeling hot 
and cold by turns. 

“ ‘ Why,' he said to me quietly, ‘ you are afraid ! ' 

“ I did not speak for a moment or two, but felt 
the hot blood flush into my face as I stood there 
looking him full in the eyes, and unable to with- 
draw my gaze. 

“ ‘ Yes, uncle,' I said at last. ‘ I did not want to 
be, but a serpent is such a horrible thing, and I am 
afraid.' 

“ ‘ Yes, it is a horrible monster,' he said quietly. 
‘ I don't like them myself, but if we could kill it — ' 

“ ‘ I can't help feeling afraid, uncle,' I said, ‘ but 
I'm ready to go on now.' 


AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SNAKE i6i 

“ ‘ What, to attack it ? ' 

“‘Yes/ 

“ ‘ It will be rather dangerous, my boy/ 

“‘Yes/ I said. ‘I suppose so; but I want to 
get over being so afraid of things. I’m quite ready 
now.’ 

“ I looked to him to come on at once, but he did 
not move, and stood looking at me for some minutes 
without speaking. 

“ ‘ Then we will go and attack the brute,’ he 
said ; ‘ but it will not go away from that bit of a 
swamp, so we will wait a few moments. Bony will 
be along to help us — unless he proves to be a worse 
coward than you.’ 

“‘He could not be,’ I admitted pitifully; and I 
felt very, very miserable. 

“ ‘ Oh ! yes, he could be,’ said my uncle smiling, 
and grasping me affectionately by the arm. ‘ You 
are a coward, Dick, but you fought with your 
natural dread, mastered it, and are ready to go and 
attack that beast. Bony may be a coward and not 
fight with and master his dread. So you see the 
difference, my boy.’ 

“A shout from the black informed us of his ap- 
proach and as I recalled the task we had under- 
taken, a curious shiver ran through me. I glanced 


i 62 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


in the direction of the swamp where, nearly half a 
mile away, the reptile lay. 

Bony knew nothing about it as yet, and I hardly 
conceived how he would be made to understand 
what we had seen. 

‘ Do you think he will be ready to help kill the 
serpent, uncle ? ’ I asked, after waiting for some 
time to see if he would say anything about the at- 
tack. 

‘ I hardly know/ he replied ; ^ but we’ll soon try 
him. By the way, use the cartridges with the 
largest kind of shot, for we must make up for this 
morning’s mistakes. Here, Bony, we’ve seen a 
snake,’ he said. 

‘‘ ‘ Nat-mi-boi. Hal-lo, hal-lo, hal-lo ! ’ replied 
the black man, laughing merrily and showing his 
white teeth. 

“ * We shall not get at his understanding like 
that,’ said my uncle quietly ; and he sat thinking for 
a moment. ‘ I have it/ he cried. 

“ We generally carried a stout piece of cord with 
us, ready for any emergency, and this cord, about 
ten yards long and a little thicker than clothes-line, 
my uncle now untwisted from his waist, where he 
had worn it like a belt, and calling Bony’s attention 
to it laid it out upon the ground. Then holding one 


AN ENCOUNTER WITH A SNAKE 165 


end he made it wave about and crawl and curve and 
twine, ending by knotting it up in a heap and laying 
the end carefully down as if it were a serpent 
asleep. 

“ Bony watched the process attentively, at first 
seriously and then as if delighted, clapping his 
hands, dancing, and chattering away as if telling my 
uncle how clever he was. 

“ ^ But that does not show him what we want, 
uncle,’ I said. 

“ ' Well, then, you try,’ he said. 

I took up the rope, made it undulate a little, 
and then as Bony looked on I gave it a quick twist 
and wound it round him, pretending to make the 
end bite. 

He took to it directly, pretending that the rep- 
tile was crushing him, fighting his way free of the 
folds, picking up his club and attacking it in turn, 
beating the make-believe head with his club, and 
finally indulging in a war-dance as he jumped 
round, dragging the imaginary serpent after him, 
pretending all the while that it was very heavy, 
before stooping down to smell it, making a grimace, 
and then throwing down the rope, which he pre- 
tended to bury in the sand. 

“ ' It’s all right, Dick. He understands, and has 


i 64 comrades in NEW MEXICO 

evidently encountered big snakes. Now then to 
show him our enemy, for he will fight.’ 

My uncle was right, for it was evident that 
Bony quite understood us and meant fighting, for, 
sticking his spear in the ground, he made signs to 
me that I should lend him my hunting-knife, which 
I at once did, and laughing and chattering away he 
looked about him a little, and then proceeded to cut 
down a sapling tree about as thick as his arm, from 
whose trunk he selected a piece a couple of feet in 
length and carefully trimmed it into a formidable 
club with a smooth, small handle, while he left the 
thick end jagged with the ugly places from which 
he had cut the branches. 

“ He was not long in getting it into shape, and 
no sooner had he satisfied himself with his work 
that he returned my hunting-knife, making believe 
that he was horribly afraid lest it should cut off his 
head, and then proceeded to attack an imaginary 
serpent that was trying to escape through the 
bushes. Now he was trying to strike it, now re- 
treating, now making blows at it upon the ground, 
now in the air, ending by dropping his club and 
seizing the neck of the creature, which he pretended 
had coiled round him ; now he was down upon one 
knee, now overthrown and rolling over and over in 


SOME VARIED EXPERIENCES 


165 


a fierce struggle; but at last his acting came to a 
conclusion by his striking the reptile^s head against 
a tree, kicking otf an imaginary coil from his leg, 
and strutting about proudly to show how he had 
conquered. 

“ The most surprising part of the affair was that 
he did not seem to be in the slightest degree ex- 
hausted by his efforts, but picked up his club and 
began chattering to us, and pointing to the marsh as 
if asking us to come on.’^ 


CHAPTER XIX 


A BATTLE WITH FEAR 

“ ^ Well/ said my uncle, ‘ if he will only fight 
half as well as that when we encounter the serpent, 
there ought to be nothing to fear. We ought to 
master the brute easily/ 

‘‘ ‘ Would such a serpent be very strong? ' I asked 
my uncle. 

* Wonderfully strong/ he said. ' Their muscles 
are tremendously powerful. See what strength 
anything of similar form possesses; an eel, for 
instance.’ 

“ ‘ Yes,’ I said thoughtfully, as I recalled how 
difficult I had once found it to hold a large one that 
I had caught. ‘ Eels are very strong.’ 

‘‘ ‘ Look here,’ said my uncle kindly. ‘ I don’t 
think we should run any risks in following up this 
serpent, for one good shot would disable it ; but still 
it may be a little perilous, and it is not just to expect 

i66 


BATTLE WITH FEAR 


i6z 

a boy of your age to face such a danger. You stoi> 
back at a distance, and I will send Bony into the 
marsh to drive it out^ while I try to get a shot at it.* 
‘‘ ‘ Oh, no I * I protested quickly. 

“ ‘ Come now, my boy,* he cried, clapping me oa 
the shoulder. ‘ You are going because you think I 
shall consider you cowardly if you stay behind. I 
tell you truly, I shall not.* 

“ ‘ I did feel something of that kind,* I said 
warmly ; * but that is not all. I want to try and be 
brave and to master all my cowardly feelings, and 
this seems such a chance.* 

“ He stood looking at me for a few minutes, and 
then said quietly: 

“ ‘ Very well then, you shall come. But be care- 
ful with your gun, and do not fire without you have 
a clear shot. Don*t hurry, and mind that Bony is 
not near. As to the danger,* he said, ‘ there is very 
little. The worst thing that could happen would 
be that the serpent might seize you.* 

“ I could not help a shudder. 

“ ‘ Coil round you ? * 

“ The shudder felt now was the serpent wrap- 
ping me round. 

“ ‘ And giving you a severe squeeze,* continued 
my uncle. ^ It is a hundred to one against its teeth 


j68 


comrades in new MEXICO 


catching you in the face, and it is doubtful whether: 
they would penetrate your clothes, and even if the^ 
did you would suffer no worse than from a few5 
thorns, for these constricting reptiles are not poi- 
sonous/ 

“ ‘ It don’t sound very nice,’ I said, feeling as if 
my face was showing white through the brown of 
the sunburns. 

No, it does not,’ he said; ‘ but now I have told 
you the worst I may as well say something on the 
other side. Now the chances are that the brute will 
try its best to escape, and be shot in the act; and 
even supposing that it did seize you, which is no 
more likely than that it should seize Bony or me, we 
should immediately get hold of it by the neck, and 
have its head off before it knew where it was.’ 

“ * Yes, uncle, I know you would,’ I said with 
more confidence and a strange thrill of excitement 
running through me. ‘ Let me come.’ 

“'You shall,’ he replied; ‘and now I’ll confess 
to you, my boy, that I should have felt disappointed 
if you had held back. Come along, my lad, and I 
think we shall soon slay this modem dragon.’ 

“ All this time Bony had been looking at us won- 
deringly; but no sooner did we examine our guns 
and start forward, than he shouldered his club and 


A BATTLE WITH FEAR 


169 


went before us towards the piece of marshy ground. 

“ I walked on by uncle’s side with my gun ready, 
and all the time I kept on wondering what he would 
have said to me if he had known how nervous I 
felt. 

“ The thoughts of what we were approaching 
seemed to take all the brightness and beauty out of 
the scene, which was as lovely as could be. 
Strange birds flew by us, glorious trees were on 
every side, some of them covered with flowers, 
while the brilliant greens of various shades made 
up for the want of color in others. Where we were 
the land seemed to slope down into a little valley, 
while farther back there was a ridge clothed to its 
summit with beautiful vegetation. 

But just then, as the poetical writer said, the 
trail of the serpent was over it all, and I kept on 
seeing imaginary reptiles’ heads reared above the 
beautiful waving canes and grasses, and fancied I 
detected the rustling noise made by the creature’s 
scales as they glided through the dry stems. 

‘ Now,’ said my uncle, as we stood at last on 
the edge of the moist depression, ‘ we must contrive 
some plan of attack. We must not let the enemy 
escape, or he will be scaring us all the time we stay.’ 

I thought it very kind of him to say us when I 


170 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


know he meant you, but I did not say anything, 
only eagerly searched the thickly spread canes and 
broad-leaved plants as far as I could see with my 
eyes, and then I could not help thinking what a 
beautiful spot that marsh was in spite of the ser- 
pent, as two or three of the lovely pitta thrushes 
flitted amidst the bamboos, and half a dozen sun- 
birds darted about a convolvulus-like plant, and 
kept flashing in the sunshine, which every now and 
then seemed to make their feathers blaze. 

“ ‘ Now,’ said my uncle, ‘ I think this will be a 
good place for you, by this trickling rill; you see 
the place is roughly in the shape of a ham, so you 
shall have the place of honor, my boy, by the 
knuckle-bone, while I and Bony go round the fat 
sides and see if we can find the enemy there.’ 

' Do you think it will come this way, uncle ? ’ I 
asked. 

‘ Yes,’ he replied, ‘ just below you there, so be 
cool, and give it both your barrels as it goes by. 
You may depend upon one thing, and that is that 
the reptile, if it comes down here, will be trying 
hard to escape. It will not attack you.’ 

“ I hoped he was right, but could not feel sure, 
as I remained on the side of the steep slope, at the 
bottom of which a tiny stream trickled amongst a 


A CI^OSE CAhU. 


Comrades in Nenv Mexico. 





A BATTLE WITH FEAR 


171 

long patch of luxuriant canes through which I ex- 
pected the serpent would try to escape to another 
part of the island. 

'' The next minute I was quite alone, for, in 
obedience to my uncle’s signs, and eagerly falling 
into his plans. Bony ran off to get to the back of the 
little marsh, my uncle also disappearing quietly on 
my own side, but of course higher up. 

‘‘ ‘ Perhaps the serpent won’t be here after all,’ I 
thought to myself as I stood there in the midst of 
the profound silence ; and I could not keep back the 
hope within me that this might be the case. 

“ Everything was now very still, only that once 
from a distance came the hoarse cry of a bird of 
paradise and the scream of a parrot, but directly 
after I seemed to detect the peculiar noise made by 
a hornbill, one of which birds flapped across the 
little valley towards a clump of trees. 

“ Not a sound came from beyond the cane 
swamp, and the slightest grasses hardly moved, but 
stood there with their feathery plumes bathed in 
sunshine, while with strained eyes I counted the 
knots on every light-brown and cream-colored 
cane. 

I was watching for a wavy, undulating move- 
ment, which I felt sure must follow if the serpent 


172 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


was there and creeping about ; but all was perfectly 
still. 

' It must be farther up to the top of the marsh 
than he thinks/ I said to myself ; and then I heard 
a cry which made my blood bound through my 
veins. But there was nothing the matter; it was 
only Bony on the move, and I heard my uncle 
answer him. Then there was a beating noise as if 
the black was thrashing the canes with his club. 

‘‘ Then my heart seemed to leap to my mouth, for 
there was rustling in the tall grasses, something 
seemed to be forcing its way through, and with my 
gun at my shoulder I was ready to fire at the first 
glimpse of the scaly skin, but feathers appeared 
instead, and a couple of large wading-birds flew 
out. 

The beating went on and bird after bird took 
flight from its lurking-place, some being very beau- 
tiful ; but no serpent appeared, and I began to feel 
more bold. 

Still the beating went on, with Bony shouting 
from time to time and my uncle answering, till they 
could not have been more than fifty yards above me, 
when suddenly the black seemed to change his tone, 
shouting excitedly to my uncle. 

“ ' They’ve found it/ I said to myself ; and in my 


A BATTLE WITH FEAR 


173 


excitement I forgot all about my fears, and stood 
there with my eyes sweeping the cane growth and 
my ears strained to their utmost. 

“All at once, and so close that the noise made 
me jump, I heard a shot, followed by a shout from 
Bony, and a loud crashing noise, as if the canes 
were being thrashed together with a big stick. 

“ Bang once more, and then perfect silence, but 
directly after the thrashing, beating noise began 
once more, and as I gazed excitedly in that direc- 
tion I heard my uncle’s voice. 

“ ‘ Look out, Dick,’ he cried. ‘ It’s coming your 
way.’ 

“‘Yolly-to, yolly-to,’ cried Bony; but I hardly 
heard him, for, rushing down amongst the reeds 
and canes, writhing and bounding in the most ex- 
traordinary way, beating, whipping the tall leaves, 
tying itself up in knots and then throwing itself out 
nearly straight, came what to me seemed to be a 
most monstrous serpent. 

“ I ought to have fired, but as the reptile came 
towards me I felt as if I must run, and I turned 
and fled for a dozen yards before shame stopped 
me, and I faced about. 

“ The creature was close at hand, writhing horri- 
bly, and leaving behind it a beaten track, as in a fit 


174 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


of desperation I raised my gun, took quick aim, and 
fired, leaped aside to get away from the smoke, and 
fired again at something close to me. 

‘‘ The next moment I was knocked down, my gun 
flying out of my hand, and when I struggled up the 
serpent was gone. 

“ ' Hurt, Dick ? ’ cried my uncle, who came run- 
ning up with Bony, who began to feel me all over. 

“ * I don’t think I am, uncle,’ I said angrily ; ‘ but 
the thing gave me a horrible bang.’ 

“ ‘ Pick up your gun then and come along, lad. 
You hit the brute with both barrels, and I know I 
did once. Come along. Load as you run.’ 

“ Bony had already gone on in the serpent’s 
track, for after I had been sent over by a blow as 
the reptile writhed so fiercely, it had straightened 
itself out, and gone straight down the little valley 
towards more open ground. 

‘ Obe-ally-yolly ! ’ shouted Bony, and running 
after him I found that the serpent was gliding 
about in a rapid way amongst some tall trees, with 
the black darting at it and hitting it with his club 
from time to time, but apparently without making 
any impression. 

“ ‘ Stand back. Bony,’ cried my uncle, waving the 
black away, and then, as Bony leaped back, pre- 


A BATTLE WITH FEAR 


175 


paring to fire. But he lowered his gun as I came 
up. ^ No/ he said, ‘ you shall give him the coup de 
grace, Dick ' ; and feeling no fear now, I finished 
the loading of my gun and went in among the trees. 

^ Fire at its head/ cried my uncle ; but it was 
not easy to see it, for the creature kept on twining 
about in a wonderfully rapid way; but at last I 
caught it as the head came from behind a tree 
trunk, fired, and the monster leaped from the 
ground and fell back in a long straight line, per- 
fectly motionless, till Bony darted in to give it a 
final thump with his club, when, to my astonish- 
ment, the blow seemed to electrify the creature, 
which drew itself up into a series of waves, and 
kept on throbbing as it were from end to end. 

‘ Shall I fire again ? ’ I said excitedly. 

‘ No,’ he replied; ‘ it would only be slaying the 
slain. Bravo, my boy! you did capitally.’ 

“ ‘ But I ran away at first, uncle,’ I said sorrow- 
fully. ^ I did not stop when the serpent first came 
out.’ 

‘ It was enough to make a St. George run away 
from such a dragon,’ he said laughing. ‘ I could 
not have believed such a serpent existed in these 
isles. Let’s see how long he is.’ 

‘ Thirty feet,’ I cried excitedly. 


176 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

“ ‘ Your eyes magnify this morning/ he said 
merrily. ‘ No, my boy/ he continued after pacing 
along by the writhing creature’s side ; ‘‘ that serpent 
is barely fourteen feet long, but it is wonderfully 
thick for its size, and it proves that there must be 
animals here such as would form its prey.’ ” 

That was an experience worthy of the name,” 
cried Chot. 

“ One I would rather hear about than take part 
in,” admitted Tom. 

“ Makes me anxious to hear more,” suggested 
Fleet. 

Yes, please go on,” assented the others. 


CHAPTER XX 


A DANGEROUS VENTURE 

, I HAD one or two more slight touches of fever 
while on the island, and my uncle was poorly once, 
but he so skillfully treated us both that the disease 
was soon mastered, and the trouble passed over. 
Taken altogether, though, we found the island a 
most delightful place of residence, and it was with 
feelings of real regiret that I sat in our swift boat 
one day with the big sail set, skimming over the 
smooth sea, all our stores on board, and uncle at 
the helm steering due north, for we had bidden the 
beautiful island farewell, and its shores were be- 
ginning to grow distant to our eyes. 

“ Bony was as happy as could be. He laughed 
and chattered and pointed out the fish to me as we 
skimmed over the shallow water of the coral reefs, 
sometimes approaching islands whose names we did 
not know, and which were apparently too small to 
177 


178 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


be down in the chart; but whatever temptations 
they might hold out my uncle steered right on due 
north, and on the evening of the second day there 
was land stretching east and west as far as we 
could see. 

‘‘ ' It’s New Guinea,’ said my uncle, and then — 
‘ Hallo ! what’s the matter with Bony ? ’ 

‘‘ That gentleman had been lying down in the 
bottom of the boat fast asleep for the past three 
hours, as he was to sit up and bear me company 
through a part of the night; but having woke up 
and caught sight of the land he seemed to have be- 
come furious. 

“ Having been with us now so long, he had 
picked up a good many words, just as we had 
picked up a good many of his, so that by their help 
and signs we got along pretty well. But now it 
was quite startling to see his excitement. He 
seemed so agitated that he could only recollect the 
word no, and this he kept on repeating as he dashed 
at me and then left me, to run to my uncle, seizing 
the tiller and trying to drag it round so as to alter 
the direction of the boat. 

^ No, no, no, no, no ! ’ he cried. Then pointing 
to the land he came at me, caught up his spear, and 
I thought he was going to kill me, for he made a 


A DANGEROUS VENTURE 


179 


savage thrust at me which went right past my arm ; 
dropped the spear, caught up his club, forced back 
my head over the gunwale of the boat, raised his 
club and made believe to beat me to death, hammer- 
ing the boat side with all his might. After this he 
made a sham attack upon my uncle, who, however, 
took it cooly, and only laughed after seeing the 
attack upon me, though I had noticed one hand go 
to his gun when Bony made at me with the spear. 

‘‘ After the black had worked himself up into a 
perspiration, instead of, as I expected, bursting out 
laughing, he kept on pointing to the land, crying, 
‘ No, no, no ! ’ and then, ‘ Kill bird, kill man, my 
boy, kill Bony. No, no, no ! ’ 

“ ‘ You mean that the savages will kill us if we 
land ? ’ I enquired. 

“ ‘ Kill, kill,’ he cried nodding his head excitedly,, 
and banging the side of the boat with his club. 

“ ‘ Well done. Your English is splendid, but 
they sha’n’t kill us. Bony,’ cried my uncle, taking up 
his gun and pointing it at the shore ; while, to make 
his meaning clearer, I did the same. ‘ Shoot — kill 
man.’ 

‘ Shoot ! kill ! ’ cried Bony, who evidently under- 
stood, for he picked up his spear, and thrust with it 
fiercely towards the shore. 


i8o COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

“ ‘ He seems to know the character of the New 
Guinea savages/ said uncle. ‘ I have always heard 
that they are a fierce and cruel set, but we shall soon 
see whether it is safe to land.’ 

'‘We sailed gently on, for it turned out a glorious 
moonlight night, and altering our course a little we 
were at sunrise within a couple of miles of what 
seemed to be a very beautiful country, wooded to the 
shore, and rising up inland to towering mountains. 
Great trees seemed to prevail everywhere, but we 
saw no sign of human being. 

“ ' The place looks very tempting,’ said uncle, 
' and if we can hit upon an uninhabited part I ex- 
pect that we should find some capital specimens for 
our cases. Let us see what the place is like.’ 

“ Bony tried in his fashion to dissuade us from 
going farther, and it was evident that the poor fel- 
low was terribly uneasy as the boat was run in close 
to the shore, when all at once about a dozen nude 
black savages came running down to the water’s 
edge, making signs to us to land, and holding up 
bunches of bright feathers and rough skins of birds. 

" ' They look friendly,’ said my uncle. ' Look 
here; I will land and take them a few presents in 
beads and brass wire; we shall soon see if they 
mean mischief.’ 


A DANGEROUS VENTURE 


i8i 

‘ I’ll go with you, uncle,’ I said. 

‘ No ; you stop with the boat and keep her afloat. 
Here are the guns all ready loaded. I don’t sup- 
pose there will be any danger; but if there is, you 
must pepper the enemy with small shot to keep 
them back — that is, of course, if you see them at- 
tack me. I shall take Bony,’ he continued. ‘ They 
may be as simple-hearted and friendly as the others 
we have met, and this country must be so grand a 
collecting ground that I cannot afford to be scared 
away by what may be false reports raised by people 
who have behaved ill to the natives.’ 

He took out a few strings of brightly colored 
beads and a little roll of brass wire, and waved 
them in the air, when the savages shouted and kept 
on making signs to us to land. 

We were only about twenty yards from the 
sandy shore now, and we could see every expression 
of face of the New Guinea men, as my uncle threw 
one leg over the side and then stood up to his knees 
in the clear water. 

“ Bony’s club was already in his lingouti, and 
picking up his spear he too leaped into the water, 
while I sat down in the boat with the barrel of my 
gun resting on the gunwale as the sail flapped and 
the boat rocked softty to and fro. 


182 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


The people seemed to be delighted as my uncle 
waded in ; but I noted that they carefully avoided 
wetting their own feet, keeping on the dry sand, 
talking eagerly among themselves; and though I 
looked attentively I could see no sign of arms or 
any cause for alarm. 

So peaceful and good-tempered did they all 
look that I was completely thrown off my guard, 
and wondered how Bony could be so cowardly as 
to keep about a yard behind my uncle, who walked 
up to them fearlessly, and held out his hand with a 
string of beads. 

“ The New Guinea men chattered and seemed de- 
lighted, holding out their hands and catching eagerly 
at the beads, snatching them from the giver’s hands, 
and asking apparently for more. 

'' I saw uncle sign to them that he wanted some 
of their birds in exchange. They understood him, 
for they held out two or three skins, and he ad- 
vanced a step to take them ; but they were snatched 
back directly, and, as if by magic, the savages thrust 
their hands behind them, and in an instant each man 
was flourishing a war-club. 

It all seemed to happen in a moment, and my 
heart seemed to stand still as I saw one treacherous 
savage, over six feet high, strike my uncle over the 


A DANGEROUS VENTURE 183 

head with his club, my poor uncle falling as if he 
had been killed. 

“ It was now that I saw why Bony had held back 
behind my uncle, and it was fortunate that the faith- 
ful fellow had followed the guidance of his own 
reason. For, as in the midst of a tremendous shout- 
ing and yelling, the tall savage bent forward to again 
strike my uncle I saw Bony’s lance point strike him 
in the throat, and he went down. 

“ This checked the savages for an instant, long 
enough to enable the black to stoop down and get a 
good grip of uncle’s collar with his left hand, while 
with his right he kept making darts with his spear 
at the yelling savages, who kept striking at him with 
their clubs. 

“ So tremendous and so true were Bony’s thrusts 
that I saw another great black go down, and a couple 
more run yelling back towards the dense cover from 
which they had come ; but Bony was in a very crit- 
ical position. My uncle was heavy, and the black 
had hard work to drag him over the sand towards 
the boat, and keep his enemies at bay. 

“ It was now that I saw what a brave warrior and 
chief our follower must be ; but I also saw how his 
enemies had formed a half circle and were trying 
to get behind him and cut him off from the boat. 


184 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


‘‘ For the first few moments I had felt helpless ; 
then I had determined to leap over and go to their 
help; then I saw that I was best where I was, and 
took aim, ready to fire at the first chance, for I could 
do nothing at first for fear of injuring my friends. 
And besides, a horrible feeling of compunction had 
come upon me at the thought of having to fire at 
men — fellow creatures — and I shrank from draw- 
ing trigger. 

At last, though, I saw that further hesitation 
would be fatal. Bony was making a brave defense, 
and had wounded several of his assailants as he 
dragged my uncle to the water’s edge. Another 
step and he could have waded, easily dragging my 
uncle over the water, but his enemies had made a 
savage dash, and one of the boldest had got hold of 
his spear. 

Another moment and he would have been 
struck down, when, hesitating no longer, I took 
quick aim and fired right into the thick of the black 
group as far on one side of my uncle as I could. 

‘‘As the report rang out, and the stinging shot 
hissed and scattered, injuring several, they uttered 
fierce yells and separated for a moment, giving me 
a better chance to fire again, and I did with such 
effect that the savage who was dragging at Bony’s 



A DANGEROUS VENTURE 


185 


Spear loosed his hold, turned, and ran for his life. 

It was a golden moment for our black friend, 
who made a couple of darts with his freed weapon, 
and then backing rapidly drew my uncle through 
the water towards the boat. 

The savages were staggered by the shot from 
my gun. Many were wounded, but they were 
trifling small shot-wounds, which only infuriated 
them as they saw their prey escaping, and with a 
rush they came tearing through the water, whirling 
their clubs above their heads and yelling furiously. 

‘‘ My blood was up now, and in those brief iho- 
ments I saw our fate, that of being massacred by 
these treacherous ruthless wretches, to whom we 
had made offerings of peace and good-will. I 
seemed to see our battered boat, and then friends 
at home waiting for news of those who had sailed 
out here on a peaceful expedition, news that would 
never come; and a curious pang came over me as 
I felt that I must save uncle and his brave defender 
if I could. 

I had already picked up my uncle’s loaded 
double gun, and there were two rifles also loaded 
ready to my hand, so, taking careful aim now at 
the foremost of the savage crew just as they were 
pressing Bony hard, I fired. 


i86 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


“ I could not see for a moment for the smoke, 
hut as it parted I saw that the men were close 
enough now for the shot to have much more se- 
rious effect. Two had fallen, but after a moment^s 
hesitation the others made a fresh rush, which I 
met with another shot, which checked them again ; 
but though another man fell, and half a dozen 
more were streaming with blood they only seemed 
the more infuriate and again came on. 

“ I did not even then like to use the fatal rifles, 
but found time to cram in a couple more car- 
tridges, and by this time Bony had dragged my 
uncle to the boat, stooped, lifted him in, and then 
with one hand upon the gunwale kept shoving her 
off, backing and wading, and thrusting with his 
spear at the fierce wretches who came on more sav- 
agely than ever. 

** The boat moved slowly, but I was hot with ex- 
citement now, and I fired once at a savage who was 
striking at Bony, then at a group, and then there 
was a dull heavy thud as a war-club that had been 
thrown with clever aim struck me full in the fore- 
head, and I fell senseless in the bottom of the 
boat.’’ 


CHAPTER XXI 


SAVED 

When I came to, it was with a terrible pain in 
my head, and a misty feeling of having been taken 
by the savages, who had laid me down and were 
having a war-dance of triumph around me. 

‘ Hi, yi, yi — Hi, yi, yi ! 'Hey ! ^ 

“Then it kept on in a shrill tone till it seemed, 
as my head ached so badly, almost maddening. 

“ At last I raised my heavy eyelids and saw that 
instead of lying on the sand surrounded by the 
savages, I was some distance from the shore and 
in the boat. I could dimly see, as through a mist, 
the savages on the beach, and they were shouting, 
yelling, and threatening us with their war-clubs; 
but it was Bony who was apparently about to dance 
the bottom out of the boat, and keeping up that 
abominable ' Hi, yi, yi ! ’ his song of triumph for, 
the victory he had won. 

187 


i88 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


^ Hi, yi, yi — Hi, yi, yi! Hey!* 

‘‘The Hey! was accompanied by a tremendous 
jump, and a flourish of the spear at the savages on 
shore, whom the defiance seemed to madden as they 
rushed about furiously waving their clubs and yell- 
ing with all their might. Sometimes they dashed 
into the water right to their chests, some swam out 
with their war-clubs in their teeth, and some went 
through a pantomine in which we were all sup- 
posed to be beaten down and being pounded into 
jelly upon the shore. 

“ All this delighted Bony, who varied his war- 
song by making derisive gestures, showing his 
utter contempt for his cowardly enemies, all of 
which seemed to sting them to fury, and I began to 
wonder how we should get on if they had canoes. 

“ For our boat was floating gently along about 
sixty yards from the shore with the sail flapping 
about, the current driving her away, but the rollers 
carrying her in. 

“At first I could do nothing but sit there and 
gaze, sometimes at Bony, and sometimes at the 
savages. Then in a sleepy stupid way I looked at 
my uncle, who was lying in the bottom of the boat 
with his eyes closed and perfectly motionless. 

“ Somehow my state then did not trouble me 


SAVED 


189 


much, only that I wished my head would not ache 
quite so badly. I was quite aware that we were 
in danger, but that seemed to be quite natural; 
and at last I began to wonder why I did not begin 
doing something, and why my uncle did not get up. 

At last it seemed to occur to Bony that it was 
time for him to finish shouting, and he laid his 
spear down, came to me, and lifted me, so that my 
head was over the side of the boat, and he then 
scooped up the cool water and bathed my face, 
with such satisfactory effect that I was able to 
think clearly; and thanking him, I was about to 
perform a similar duty for my uncle, when, to my 
horror, I saw a crowd of savages running a couple 
of canoes over the sands, evidently to launch them, 
and finish the treacherous work that they had be- 
gun. 

For a few moments I felt paralyzed, but re- 
covering myself I made a sign to Bony, hoisted the 
great sail to its fullest height, and as the boat 
careened over I hurried aft to the tiller and the 
sail began slowly to fill, and our boat to move 
gently through the water. 

“ Never had it moved so slowly, though, before, 
for the breeze was very light, and it seemed as if 
the savages must get their canoes launched, and 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


190 

have paddled out to us before we could get up any 
speed. 

“ They saw this, and kept on shouting and work- 
ing with all their might, moving first one canoe 
and then another to the edge of the water, launch- 
ing them, springing in, and the next moment the 
air was black with paddles. 

“ Again an instant and the sea was foaming with 
their vigorous strokes. 

“ But for the fact that the canoes were very 
large and heavy and took time to get well in mo- 
tion, we must have been overtaken, for the wind 
seemed to be playing with our sail, one moment 
filling it out, the next letting it flap idly as the boat 
rose and fell upon the waves. 

“ Seeing that I could do no more I fastened the 
tiller with a piece of cord and rapidly reloaded the 
guns. Bony picking up his spear, and, to my horror, 
beginning to shout at and deride the savages. 

“ It would have made little difference, I suppose, 
for the blacks would have killed us without mercy 
had they overhauled us, and that they seemed cer- 
tain to do, for they were paddling steadily and well, 
their blades being plunged into the water with the 
greatest regularity, making it foam and sparkle as 
they swept along. 


SAVED 


191 

So fast did they seem to come, uttering in 
chorus a sort of war-cry at each plunge of the pad- 
dles, that I wondered why they did not overhaul us, 
so slowly did we seem to move, and at last, as they 
got their canoes in full swing, they came on hand 
over hand, getting so near that the men in the bows 
made ready their spears to hurl, and I raised my 
gun, meaning to make as brave an end as I could. 

I was too much excited to feel frightened now. 
I suppose there was not time, all my thoughts 
being turned upon the acts of the savages, one of 
whom now threw a spear, which fell short. 

‘‘ I took aim at him, but did not fire, thinking 
that I would reserve the shot till we were in greater 
danger, and hoping that a couple of well-directed 
charges might have the effect of deterring them 
from further pursuit. But still on they came just 
abreast, and it was evident that they meant to at- 
tack on each side of our poor little boat, which 
looked so small beside the long war-canoes, each 
of which contained about forty men. 

‘‘They uttered a loud yell now, for the boat 
seemed to stand still and the sail began to flap. 
Just then half a dozen spears were thrown, and I 
nearly fell overboard, only saving myself by mak- 
ing a snatch at one of the stays. 


192 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


It was not that I was struck by a spear, but 
that the boat had given a leap and bent down till 
it seemed as if she would capsize. In fact she 
would have gone down with her sail flat upon the 
water if I had not eased off the sheet as she went 
slipping through the waves at a tremendous rate. 

It was a work of moments, and then when I 
turned my head it was to see that the canoes were 
double the distance behind with the savages pad- 
dling furiously; but I saw that if the wind held 
their case was like that of a pet spaniel running 
after a grayhound, for our boat kept careening 
over and literally racing through the sea. 

“ In five minutes I found that the canoes were 
so far behind that we had no more cause for fear, 
and, altering our course so as to sail gently on about 
a mile from the shore, I gave Bony the sheet to 
hold, knelt down, bathed uncle’s face, and bound 
up a great cut that had laid open his head. 

“ My work had its reward, for, partly from the 
freshness of the water, partly from the pain I 
must have caused him, my uncle revived, stared 
wildly about him for a few minutes, and then, 
as he realized our position, he muttered a little to 
himself, and ended by shaking hands with me and 
Bony, holding the black palm of the latter in his 


SAVED 


193 


own for some moments, as he looked our follower 
in the face. 

“ ‘ I was much to blame, Dick,’ said uncle, at 
last. ‘ I ought to have been more guarded ; but I 
could not think that these people were so treach- 
erous, and I wanted more specimens.’ 

‘ Perhaps we shall find a place by-and-by where 
there are no inhabitants,’ I suggested.” 

‘ That is what I have been hoping for days,’ he 
replied ; and not long after we sailed round a head- 
land into a beautiful bay with the whitest of sand, 
trees clustering amidst the lovely yellow stone cliffs, 
and a bright stream of water flowing through a 
gorge and tumbling over two or three little barriers 
of rocks before losing itself in the calm waters of 
the bay. 

“ Some six or seven miles back was a high ridge 
of mountains, which seemed to touch the sea to 
east and west, cutting off as it were a narrow strip 
from the mainland, and this strip, some fifteen miles 
long and six wide at its greatest, was fertile in the 
extreme. 

* Why, Dick,’ my uncle cried, ‘ this should be 
as grand a place as our island. If it is free of sav- 
ages it is the beau ideal of a naturalist’s station. 
Look ! what’s that ? ’ 


QOMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


‘ I saw a deer come out of the wood to drink 
in the stream/ 

‘‘ ‘ Poor deer/ laughed my uncle, ' I’m afraid it 
will have to come into our larder, for a bit of 
venison is the very thing we want/ 

“ As he spoke he cautiously took up a rifle, rested 
it upon the edge of the boat, waited a few mo- 
ments, and then fired at fully five hundred yards 
distance, the deer made one great bound and fell 
dead. 

“ ‘ Good ! Eatum,’ said Bony approvingly ; but 
instead of indulging in a frantic dance he shaded his 
eyes and gazed about in every direction, carefully 
sweeping the shore, and paying no heed to us as the 
boat was sailed close in. 

‘ As the keel was checked by the sand Bony 
leaped out, and I thought he was about to rush at 
the deer to skin it for food, but he ran off rapidly 
in one direction right along the shore, coming back 
at the end of a quarter of an hour, during which, 
after dragging our prize on board, we remained 
gun in hand upon the watch. 

‘‘ Bony started again and went in the other di- 
rection, being away longer this time, but returning 
triumphant to indulge in a dance, and help drag 
in the boat before proceeding to light a fire. 


SAVED 


195 


Venison steaks followed, and after another ex- 
ploration we found that we were in so thoroughly 
uninhabited a part of the island that we built a 
hut and slept ashore perfectly undisturbed. 

“ The next morning we had another exploration, 
to find that, as my uncle had supposed, the ridge of 
mountains cut us off from the rest of the island, 
and finding nothing to fear we once more set to 
work. 

Parrots were in profusion, and so were the great 
crowned pigeons ; these latter becoming our poultry 
for the table. There was an abundance, though, 
of birds of large size, whose skins we did not care 
to preserve, but which, being fruit-eaters, were de- 
licious roasted. Then we had another deer or two ; 
caught fish in the bay; and literally revelled in the 
bounteous supply of fruit. 

“ Meanwhile we were working industriously over 
our specimens, finding many that were quite new 
to us. Sometimes we were shooting beside the 
lovely trickling stream where it gathered itself into 
pools to form tiny waterfalls, places where some 
birds seemed to love to come. At others beneath 
some great flower-draped tree, where the sun-birds 
hovered and darted. But the great objects of our 
search, the birds of paradise, haunted the nut and 


196 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


berry bearing trees. Some were always to be found 
by a kind of palm that attracted the pigeons as well, 
these latter swallowing fruit that looked as big as 
their heads. 

One day we had made a longer excursion than 
usual, and had been so successful that we were 
about to turn back, having a long afternoon's work 
before us to preserve our specimens. We had 
penetrated right to the mountainous ridge, and find- 
ing the ground rise very rapidly we came to a stand- 
still, when a peculiar cry up amongst the tree- 
shadowed rocks above us made us forget our fa- 
tigue, especially as Bony was making signs." 


CHAPTER XXII 


THE LAST SHOT 

** The cry was so different to any that we had 
before heard that we felt that it must be some new 
bird, and full of eagerness set to work to stalk it. 

‘‘ All at once what seemed a flash of dark blue 
darted from a tree, and before gun could reach 
shoulder it was gone. 

But Bony had been on the watch, and away he 
crept amongst the rocks and trees, following what 
we now took to be a prize, till we saw him a quar- 
ter of a mile away holding up his spear as a signal. 

‘‘We followed cautiously, and with a look of in- 
telligence in his eyes he signed to my uncle to go 
one way towards a clump of tall palms, and to me to 
go in the other direction. 

“ ‘ Fire upwards,’ whispered my uncle, and we 
parted. 

“ I knew from Bony’s ways that the bird must 

197 


598 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

be in one of these trees, and with my eyes sweeping 
the great leaves in all directions I tried to make out 
the bird, but in vain, and I had advanced so near 
that I gave up all hope of seeing it, when suddenly 
from the other side there was a shot, then another, 
and feeling satisfied that my uncle had secured the 
prize I was completely taken off my guard, and 
stared with astonishment as a large bird with tail 
quite a couple of feet long swept by me towards 
the dense undergrowth of the lower ground, where 
it would have been in vain to hunt for it. 

“ Just, however, as the bird was darting between 
the trees I raised my gun and make a quick snap 
shot at quite sixty yards’ distance, and then called 
myself a stupid for not being more ready and for 
wasting a charge of powder and shot, 

'' My uncle hailed me now. 

“ ‘ Any luck ? ’ he cried as he came up. 

“ "No,’ I replied. " I made a flying shot, but it 
was too far off.’ 

"" ‘ So were mine,’ he said, " but I fired on the 
chance of getting the bird. It was a bird of para- 
dise different to any I have seen. We must come 
again. I never had a chance at it.’ 

" But I did,’ I said dolefully, " and missed it.’ 

"" " Where was it when you fired ? ’ 


THE LAST SHOT 


199 


‘ Down among those trees. I let it go too far/ 
I replied. 

‘‘ ‘ Why, you hit it, after all,’ it was my delight to 
hear him say. ‘ There’s Bony.’ 

“ I looked, and sure enough, there was our black 
companion holding up the bird in triumph. He 
had seen it fall when I shot, marked it down, and 
found it amongst the dense undergrowth, placing it 
before us with hardly a feather disarranged. 

‘‘ It was a splendid bird, the last we shot in New 
Guinea, and over three feet long, its tail being two, 
and of a lovely bluish tint. If looked at from one 
side it was bronze, from the other green, just as 
the light fell, while from its sides sprung magnifi- 
cent plumes of rich blue and green. They were not 
long filmy plumes like those of the great bird of 
paradise, but short, each widening towards the end, 
and standing up like a couple of fans above the 
wings. 

‘‘ It was a feast to gaze upon so lovely an object 
of creation, and I felt more proud of having secured 
that specimen than of any bird I had shot before. 

‘‘ It was soon time to return to our boat. We 
had only about three miles to go if we could have 
flown like birds; but the way lay in and out of 
rocks, with quite a little precipice to descend at 


200 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


times, so that the journey must have been double 
that length. The hope of a good meal, however, 
made us trudge on, and after a few stops to rest I 
saw that we must now be nearing the shore, for 
the ground was much more level. 

'' So different did it appear, though, that I hardly 
recognized some of it, and had it not been for Bony 
I am sure we should have gone astray ; but, savage 
like, he seemed to have an unerring instinct for 
finding his way back over ground he had been over 
before, and we had only to look back at him if we 
were in front for him to point out the way with the 
greatest of confidence. 

“We were trudging on in front, talking in a low 
tone about making another expedition into the 
mountainous part, in the hope of finding it, the 
higher we climbed, more free from risk of meeting 
natives, and we were now getting so near the shore 
that we could hear the beat of the waves upon a 
reef that lay off our hut, and sheltered the boat 
from being washed about, when all of a sudden, as 
we were traversing some low scrubby bushes which 
were more thorny than was pleasant. Bony suddenly 
struck us both on the shoulder, forcing us down 
amongst the leaves and twigs, and on looking 
sharply round we saw that he had dropped our 


THE LAST SHOT 


201 


splendid specimens, and, wild eyed and excited, he 
was crouching too. 

‘ Why, Bony,^ began my uncle ; but the black 
clapped his hand upon his mouth, and then pointed 
to the shore in front. 

“ I felt my blood turn cold ; for there, not fifty 
yards away, and dimly seen through the shade of 
leaves, was a party of about fifty New Guinea men, 
with a couple of dozen more in three canoes that 
were lying just outside the reef. They were a 
fierce-looking lot, armed with spears, axes, and 
clubs, and they were gesticulating and chattering 
fiercely about our boat. 

I heard my uncle utter a groan, for it seemed 
as if the labors of all these months upon months 
of collecting were wasted, and that specimens, 
stores, arms, everything of value, would fall into 
the hands of these savages. He was perfectly calm 
directly after, and crouched there with his gun 
ready for a chance, should there be any necessity 
for its use; but he knew that it was useless to at- 
tempt to fight, all we could do was to save our lives. 

“ After about half an hour’s talk the savages 
embarked, taking our boat in tow behind one of 
their canoes, and we saw the bright water flash as 
the paddles beat regularly, and the men sent their 


202 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


craft along till they swept round the headland west 
of the bay and were gone. 

‘ Oh, uncle ! ’ I cried as soon as we were safe. 

‘ It is very hard, my boy,’ he said sadly ; ‘ but 
it might have been worse. We have our lives and 
a little ammunition ; but the scoundrels have 
wrecked my expedition.’ 

‘‘ ‘ And we have no boat.’ 

** ‘ Nor anything else, Dick,’ he said cheerfully. 

* But we have plenty of pluck, my boy, and Bony 
will help us to make a canoe to take us to the 
Moluccas, where I daresay I can get some merchant 
to fit us out again. Well, Bony,’ he cried, ‘ all 
gone ! ’ 

‘ Man-kill — gone,’ replied Bony, shaking his 
spear angrily, and then he kept repeating the word 
Owe — boat, as we went down to the shore. 

“ ‘ Let’s see if they have left anything in the hut,’ 
said my uncle. ‘ We must have food even if we 
are stripped.’ 

We turned through the bushes and made our 
way into the little arbor-like spot beside the stream 
where Bony had built our hut beneath a splendid 
tree, when, to our utter astonishment, we found 
that the savages had not seen our little home, but 
had caught sight of the boat, landed and carried it 


THE LAST SHOT 


203 


off, without attempting to look for its owners. No 
one had been there since we left, that was evident ; 
and pleased as we were, our delight was more than 
equalled by Bony’s, for laying down our specimens, 
this time more carefully, he refreshed himself with 
a dance before lighting a fire, where a capital meal 
was prepared, which we thankfully enjoyed as we 
thought of the benefits we received by having the 
'forethought to carry everything out of the boat and 
placing it under cover for fear of rain. 


CHAPTER XXIII 

AN ANXIOUS TIME 

“The savages then had taken nothing but our 
boat, and the next thing was to set to work to con- 
struct another, for my uncle said he should not feel 
satisfied to stay where we were longer, without 
some means of retreat being ready for an emer- 
gency. 

“ Before lying down we managed to ask Bony 
what he thought of our being able to build a canoe 
that would carry us and our luxuries. For reply 
he laughed, pointed to our axes and to the trees, as 
if to say, What a foolish question when we have 
all the material here ! 

“ I was so wearied, and slept so heavily, that I 
had to be awakened by my uncle long after the sun 
was up. 

“ ' Come,' he said, ‘ I want you to make a fire. 
Bony has gone off somewhere.' 


204 


AN ANXIOUS TIME 


205 


I made the fire, after which we had a hasty 
breakfast, and then worked hard at skin making — 
preserving all our specimens. 

‘‘ The day glided by, but Bony did not come, and 
feeling no disposition to collect more, in fact not 
caring now to fire, we had a look round to see 
which would be the most likely place to cut down a 
tree and begin building a boat. 

‘‘ ^ It is lucky for us,’ said my uncle, * that Bony 
belongs to a nation of boat-builders. Perhaps he 
has gone to search for a suitable place and the kind 
of wood he thinks best ; but I wish he would come.’ 

“ Night fell and no Bony. The next morning he 
was not there ; and as day after day glided by we set 
ourselves to work to search for him, feeling sure 
that the poor fellow must have fallen from some 
precipice and be lying helpless in the forest. But 
we had no success, and began to think then of wild 
beasts, though we had seen nothing large enough to 
be dangerous, except that worst wild beast of all, 
savage man. 

Still we searched until we were beginning to 
conclude that he must have been seen by a passing 
canoe whose occupants had landed and carried him 
off. 

** * I don’t think they would though,’ I said ; ' he 


2o6 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


is too sharp and cunning. Why, it would be like 
seeking to catch a wild bird to try and get hold of 
Bony, if he was out in the woods.' 

‘‘ * Perhaps you are right,' said my uncle. ‘ There 
is one way, though, that we have never tried, I 
mean over the mountain beyond where you shot 
that last bird. To-morrow we will go across there 
and see if there are any signs of the poor fellow. 
If we see none then we must set to work ourselves 
to build a canoe or hollow one out of a tree, and I 
tremble for the result.' 

“ * Shall we be able to make one big enough to 
carry our chests,' I inquired. 

* No, I don't expect it,' was the reply. ‘ If we 
can contrive one that will carry us to some port we 
must be satisfied. There I can buy a boat, and we 
must come back for our stores.' 

We devoted the next two days to a long expedi- 
tion, merely using our guns to procure food, and 
reluctantly allowing several splendid birds to escape. 

But our expedition only produced weariness ; 
and footsore and worn out we returned to our hut, 
fully determined to spend our time in trying what 
we could contrive in the shape of a boat, falling 
fast asleep, sad at heart indeed, for in Bony we felt 
that we had lost a faithful friend. 


AN ANXIOUS TIME 


207 


“ ‘ It is of no use to be down-hearted/ said my 
uncle the next morning. ‘ Cheer up, my lad, and 
let’s look our difficulties in the face. That’s the way 
to overcome them, I think.’ 

I felt better that morning, and told my uncle so. 

‘‘ ‘ Nothing like a good night’s rest, for raising 
the spirits,’ he said. ‘ This loss of the boat and then 
of our follower, if he is lost, are two great mis- 
fortunes, but we must bear in mind that before all 
this nothing hardly but success attended us.’ 

“ ‘ Except with the savages, uncle,’ I said. 

“ ‘ Right : except with the savages. Now let’s go 
down to the shore and have a good look out to sea.’ 

** We walked down close to the water, and having 
satisfied ourselves that no canoes were in sight, we 
made a fire, at which our coffee was soon getting 
hot, while I roasted a big pigeon, of which food we 
never seemed to tire, the supply being so abundant 
that it seemed a matter of course to shoot two or 
three when we wanted meat. 

‘“I’d give something,’ said my uncle, as we sat 
there in the soft, delicious sea air, with the sunshine 
coming down like silver rays through the glorious 
foliage above our heads — ‘ I’d give something, if 
boat-building had formed part of my education.’ 


268 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

** * Or you had gone and learned it like Peter the 
Great/ 

‘‘ ‘ Exactly/ he replied. ‘ But it did not, so we 
must set to work at once and see what we can do. 
Now what do you say? How are we to make a 
boat ? ^ 

“ ‘ IVe been thinking about it a great deal,* I 
said, ^ and I was wondering whether we could not 
make a bark canoe like the Indians.* 

“ ‘ A bark canoe, eh ? * 

“ ' Fve seen a model of one, and it looks so easy,^ 
I said. 

‘ Yes, my boy, these things do look easy ; but 
the men who make them, savages though they be, 
work on the experience of many generations. It 
took hundreds of years to make a good bark canoe, 
and I’m afraid the first manufacturers of that useful 
little vessel were drowned. No, we could not make 
a canoe of that kind.’ 

“ ‘ Then we must cut down a big tree and hollow 
it out, only it will take a long time.’ 

‘ Yes, but suppose we try the medium way. I 
propose that we cut down a moderately-sized tree, 
and hollow it out for the lower part of our boat, 
drive pegs all along the edge for a support, and 


AN ANXIOUS TIME 


2og 


weave in that a basket-work of cane for the sides 
as high as we want it/ 

‘ But how could we make the sides watertight, 
uncle? ’ I said ; ‘ there seem to be no pine-trees here 
to get pitch or turpentine/ 

“ ‘ No, but there is a gum to be found in large 
quantities in the earth if we can discover any. 
The Malays called it dammar , and use it largely for 
torches. It strikes me that we could turn it into a 
splendid varnish, seeing what a hard resinous sub- 
stance it is. Bony would have found some very 
soon, I have no doubt.' 

‘ Then I must find some without him,' I said. 
‘ I shall go hunting for it whenever I am not busy 
boat-building.' 

“ He smiled at my enthusiasm, and after exam- 
ining the skins to see that they were all dry and 
free from attacks of ants, we each took a hatchet 
and our guns, and proceeded along by the side of 
the shore in search of a stout straight tree that 
should combine the qualities of being light, strong, 
easy to work, and growing near the sea." 


CHAPTER XXiy 

AN APPARITION 

We quite came to the conclusion that we should 
have a great deal of labor, and only learn by ex- 
perience which kind of tree would be suitable, per- 
haps having to cut down several before we found 
one that would do. 

^ And that will be bad, uncle,’ I suggested. 

* It will cause us a great deal of labor,’ he re- 
plied smiling ; ‘ but it will make us handy with our 
hatchets.’ 

“ ' I did not mean that,’ I replied ; ^ I was think- 
ing of savages coming in this direction and seeing 
the chips and cut-down trees.’ 

' That would be bad,’ he admitted ; ‘ but as we 
are cut off so from the rest of the island, we must 
be hopeful that we may get our work done before 
they come.’ 

‘‘We spent four days hunting about before we 


210 


AN APPARITION 


2II 


found a tree that possessed all the qualities we re- 
quired. We found dozens that would have done, 
only they were far away from the shore, where it 
would have been very difficult to move our boat 
afterwards to the water’s edge. 

“ But the tree we selected offered us a thick 
straight stem twenty feet long, and it was so placed 
that the land sloped easily towards the sea, and it 
was sufficiently removed from the beach for us to 
go on with our work unseen. 

“We set to at once to cut it down, finding to 
our great delight as soon as we were through the 
bark that the wood was firm and fibrous, and yet 
easy to cut, so that after six hours’ steady chopping 
we had made a big gap in the side, when we were 
obliged to leave off because it was dark. 

“We worked the next day and the next, and then 
my uncle leaned against it while I gave a few more 
cuts, and down it went with a crash amongst the 
other trees, to be ready for working up into the 
shape we required. 

“ Next morning as soon as it was light we began 
again to cut off the top at the length we intended 
to have our boat, a task this which saved the labor 
of chopping off the branches. I worked hard, and 
the labor was made lighter by uncle’s pleasant con- 


212 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


versation. For he chatted about savage and civ- 
ilized man, and laughingly pointed out how the 
latter had gone on improving. 

‘ You see what slow laborious work this chip- 
ping with our axes is/ he said one day as we kept 
industriously on, ‘ when by means of cross-cut saws 
and a circular saw worked by steam this tree could 
be soon reduced to thin boards ready for building 
our boat.* 

Birds came and perched near us, and some were 
very rare in kind, but we felt that we must leave 
them alone so as to secure those we had obtained, 
and we worked patiently on till at the end of a 
week the tree began to wear outside somewhat the 
shape of a boat, and it was just about the length 
we required. 

“ It was terribly hard work, but we did not 
shrink, and at last, after congratulating ourselves 
upon having got so far without being interfered 
with by the savages, we had shouldered our guns 
and were walking back to the hut one evening when 
we caught sight of a black figure running across an 
opening, and we knew that our time of safety was 
at an end. 

“ ‘ It is what I have always feared,* said my uncle 
quickly. ' Quick ; put big-shot cartridges in your 


AN APPARITION 


213 

gun. We will not spill blood if we can help it, but 
it is their lives or ours^ and we must get safely back 
home.’ 

“ ‘ What shall we do now ? ’ I said huskily. 

‘"‘Wait and see what ^ the enemy mean to do, 
and — ’ 

“ ‘ Hi, yi, yi — Hi, yi, yi. Hey. Ung-kul I ’ came 
shrilly through the trees. 

‘ Hooray ! ’ I shrieked, leaping out of my hiding- 
place. ‘ Bony ! Bony ! Hi, yi, yi — Hi, yi, yi. Hoo- 
ray ! ’ 

“ ‘ We ran to meet him, and he bounded towards 
us, leaping, dancing, rolling on the ground, hugging 
us, and seeming half mad with delight as he dragged 
us down to the sea-side, where a new surprise 
awaited us. 

“ For there upon shore, with her anchor fixed in 
the sands, lay our boat apparently quite uninjured. 

As Bony danced about and patted the boat and 
then himself, it was plain enough to read the cause 
of his disappearance. He had gone off along the 
shore following the savages to their village, and 
then watched his opportunity to sail off. And this 
he had of course done, placing the boat safely in its 
old moorings. 

He made signs for something to eat, and then 


214 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


I noticed that he looked very thin ; and it was evi- 
dent that the poor fellow had suffered terrible 
privations in getting back our treasure, and proving 
himself so good a friend. 

“ ' Don’t you feel disappointed ? ’ said my uncle 
smiling. ‘ We shall not be able to finish our boat.' 

“ ‘ I shall get over it/ I said. ' Hallo ! what’s the 
matter with Bony ? ’ 

“ For before he had half finished eating he 
jumped up and made signs to us which we did not 
understand, and then began to drag one of the 
chests down towards the boat. 

‘ I see ; he means it is not safe to stay,’ said my 
uncle, and setting to work we got all our treasures 
safely on board, with such food and fruit as we had 
ready, filled the water barrel, and then paused. 

“ But Bony was not satisfied ; he chattered ex- 
citedly and signed to us to launch the boat. 

“ ‘ I’ll take his advice,’ said my uncle. ‘ He 
means that the savages may be in pursuit.’ 

‘‘ So pushing off, the sail was hoisted, and in the 
bright starlight of the glorious night we sailed 
away, carefully avoiding the reef, where the rollers 
were breaking heavily, and before we were half 
a mile from the shore Bony pressed my arm and 
pointed. 


’AN APPARITION 


215 


** The sight I saw was convincing. We had got- 
ten away none too soon. There were a number of 
boats filled with savages making for the spot we 
had left. But we got away and here ends my 
story.” 

A tale well worthy of record in the annals of 
the Experience Club, I suggest,” said Mr. Shelton. 

“ It surely shall be,” said the boys, in unison. 

‘‘A glorious day we have had, climaxed by an 
evening delightfully spent,” concluded Mr. Shelton. 

“ Ever to be remembered by we comrades,” 
chorused the boys as they said “ good night.” 


CHAPTER XXV 


A CALL FOR HELP 

The entire company, at the earnest solicitation 
of the major and Mrs. Wharton, remained for the 
night at commodious Red Oaks. The next day 
they went their respective ways; Mr. and Mrs. 
Shelton returning to Rosado and the comrades 
going with Mr. Wilde to spend a few days at his 
ranch. There they installed a wireless outfit and 
several days later returned to the Shelton ranch. 

Chot found a letter awaiting his return which 
was to aifect in a marked manner the chums’ plans 
for the near future. It was from one of the pro- 
fessors of their school, and contained an invitation 
for the three boys to join a party to be organized 
to visit Arizona. 

The professor wrote that he had quite by acci- 
dent met Mr. Duncan, Chot’s father, and had 
learned of the presence of the comrades in New 
216 


A CALL FOR HELP 


217 


Mexico. He had immediately solicited the privi- 
lege of asking them to join his proposed expedi- 
tion. 

He wrote at some length about his intentions 
and plans. It seemed that in some way he had 
learned of the existence, somewhere on the Great 
Divide, of a remnant band of Aztecs. That they 
possessed many relics of inestimable value. To 
the student of the age when they dominated the 
southern land, an investigation of their homes and 
habits would prove most interesting. 

The subject was laid before Mr. Shelton, for of 
course the comrades were upon the instant eager 
for the outing. 

If s a wild, unexplored and dangerous country,^* 
said Mr. Shelton. “ Few have ever penetrated the 
mountain fastness of the section you describe.” 

“ It appeals to me ! ” cried Chot, and in his de- 
cision the others agreed. 

Our stay with you is near its end,” suggested 
Fleet, addressing their host, and this fits in just 
right to fill out the summer.” 

“ There is only one thing,” demurred Tom, that 
would hold me back, and thafs the cost. But it 
seems the professor proposes to pay all expenses.” 

So it was arranged that Tom and Fleet should 


2I8 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


write home for the needed consent of their parents, 
which were duly given, and in ‘‘ Comrades on the 
Great Divide ” is detailed the wonderful experiences 
of the boys in Arizona. 

Affairs at the hacienda de rosado had resumed 
their usual routine, the cattle and sheep had been 
put again in the corrals, and the comrades went 
riding, hunting and fishing without thoughts of 
the bandits, who had not been heard from after 
their attempted ambush of the major and his party 
on the night of the Fourth. 

The comrades were out for a hunt for jack rab- 
bits one afternoon several days after their return 
from their visit. 

“ I hope,” said Chot, that there will be a round 
up of those outlaws before the professor’s arrival.” 

“We surely ought to be in at the finish,” as- 
sented the others, and their ambition was to be of 
early realization. When they came in toward 
evening they were met at the entrance to the patio 
by Mrs. Shelton. 

“ There has been somebody calling on the wire- 
less at intervals nearly all the afternoon,” she said, 
“ but I haven’t been able to make anything out of 
it. I don’t know whether it is their fault or 
mine.” 


A CALL FOR HELP 


219 


“ Must be theirs,” responded Chot gallantly. 

Who was it ? ” 

That is what I could not make out,” replied 
Mrs. Shelton. It seemed to be all of a jumble. 
There goes the instrument again,” as the mechan- 
ism began clicking. 

“ Sounds like a beginner,” observed Chot. “ I 
will see what I can make out of it,” saying which 
he went to the apparatus. “ Hallo ! Who is 
this?” he signaled, after he had listened for a 
moment. “ It sounds like a lot of gibberish.” 

“ That is the way it sounded to me,” interposed 
Mrs. Shelton. “ I thought I couldn’t hear straight.” 

‘‘ Hallo ! Hallo ! ” flashed Chot impatiently. 

‘‘ Ask who is at the other end,” proposed Tom. 

Look here, boys,” Chot suddenly exclaimed. 
‘‘ There has been some one tampering with the 
wires. Here is one cut clean through.” 

It was as he described. 

“ Who could have done it ? ” asked Tom. 

“ It’s a matter we must look into,” determined 
Chot. 

“ We can make a temporary shift,” suggested 
Fleet, proceeding as he spoke to connect the two 
ends with some flexible small wire. This was but 
the work of a few moments. 


220 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


“That will do for the emergency,” said Chot. 
“ Now let me try again. Hallo,” he again flashed. 

“Now there is something coming,” exclaimed 
Tom. “Hum, if s ‘Jelly.’” 

“ I guess somebody wants to get your receipt for 
making Jelly, Mrs. Shelton.” 

“ Maybe ifs ‘ Nellie,’ ” suggested Fleet with a 
gleam of inspiration. 

“ That must be it,” assented Chot. “ She is mix- 
ing her letters all up like a logogriph puzzle. 

“ Tell her to go slow,” suggested Tom. “ Maybe 
she will do better.” 

“And go slow yourself, so she can understand 
it,” advised Fleet, as Chot began thumping the key. 

“ Hello, Nellie ! ” signaled Chot more slowly. 
“ Can you get this ? ” 

“ Yes. Alle light,” was the response. 

“ ‘ Alle light ! ’ ” commented Tom. “ Must be a 
chink at the other end.” 

“ Means all right,” interjected Fleet. 

“ Do you really think so ? ” drawled Tom. 

“ Take your time, Nellie,” went on Chot. “ You 
are mixing things all up.” 

“ Oh, take your time. Miss Lucy, oh, take your 
time. Miss Long,” sang Tom. 

“ If you don’t keep quiet,” threatened Chot, drop- 


A CALL FOR HELP 


221 


ping the receivers for a moment, “ we will put you 
out of here.” 

‘^The band — ” the instrument slowly clicked. 

The band ! ” exclaimed Tom. Gee ! is that 
band playing yet.” 

Don’t be so previous ! ” interjected Fleet. She 
means bandits.” 

Same thing,” drawled Tom. ‘‘ I’ll bet when 
they aren’t banding they can bandit with the best 
of them.” 

Be quiet ! ” commanded Chot. We want to 
know what they have been doing.” 

Playing a Hot Time, I bet,” muttered Tom. 
raid,” announced Chot. 

You bet they were arrayed,” interrupted Tom. 
“ Like Solomon in all his glory.” 

This is raid,” protested Chot, r a i d. Now 
will you be good.” 

'' Oh,” commented Tom. ** Why didn’t you say 
so before ? ” 

What is that,” asked Mr. Shelton, who had 
just come in. 

The bandits have been making a raid,” ex- 
plained Chot. 

When ? Where ? ” asked Mr. Shelton. 

“ I am just trying to find out,” answered Chot, 


222 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


the instrument slowly clicking as the sender was 
more carefully sounding the letters. Last night.” 

“ Hot,” went on Chot. What was hot, Oh, 
shot.” 

Mr. Wilde,” the instrument clicked. 

What is that? ” anxiously questioned Mr. Shel- 
ton. Wilde shot. That’s too serious. Something 
must be done to put a stop to this thing. We have 
let it go on too long.” 

“ No, not very badly hurt,” replied Nellie in 
answer to Chot’s inquiry. 

“ I am glad of that,” exclaimed Mr. Shelton. 

But we must certainly drive them out.” 

“ Addle,” slowly clicked out. 

** Addled,” repeated Chot, “ I surely will be if 
this keeps up.” 

“What is she talking about now,” demanded 
Tom. “Eggs?” 

“ Oh, saddle,” reported Chot. “ Stole the saddle, 
I don’t see,” he said, bewildered. “ What does she 
mean by that ? ” 

“The prize saddle that Miss Wilde won, of 
course,” suggested Fleet. 

“ Of course,” said Tom impressively. “ Any- 
body would know that.” 

“ Curly stopped this morning on his way to notify 


A CALL FOR HELP 


223 


the sheriff,’’ Nellie ticked off. “ Uncle thinks we 
ought to do something.” 

“ Correct,” interposed Tom. We will do it.” 

“ What ? ” asked Mr. Shelton amusedly. 

Hunt the bandit to his lair,” responded Tom. 
“ Call up the captain and get him to attack the 
camp. He has had time enough to think about how 
to get around the Mexican end of it.” 

“ That isn’t a bad idea, Tom,” agreed Mr. Shel- 
ton. “We must take measures to protect our- 
selves, Mexico or no Mexico. See if you can get 
the fort, Chot!” 

“ Hello ! Hello ! Lawton ! ” Chot sent the call 
crashing out into the air. “ This is Rosado.” 

“ Hello ! Rosado ! ” was the quick response. 
“ How are you ? What is the news from the 
mesa ? ” 

“ The bandits have broken out again,” flashed 
Chot. “Is Captain Thomas there?” 

“ Right here,” was the response. “ What is 
wanted ? he asks.” 

“ The bandits have made another raid and shot 
the ranchero,” telegraphed Chot. 

“ The captain asks for particulars,” was the re- 

ply. 

As briefly as possible the desired information was 


224 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


communicated, and Chot ended by asking if help 
could not be rendered. 

‘"Yes,” was the response. ^‘We were about to 
call you up to say that Lieut. Thomas was on the 
way to Rosado. Should arrive there this evening. 
He will give all needed information.” 

‘‘Good!” exclaimed Tom, “there will be some- 
thing doing.” 

“ The lieutenant must have started yesterday if 
he is to arrive to-night. The trip from the fort, as 
you know, takes two days.” 


CHAPTER XXVI 

A NIGHT WATCH 

Now the next thing is to find out, if we can, 
who it was that monkeyed with our wireless.” 
Chot reported to Mr. Shelton the condition in which 
the boys had found the apparatus. 

There must be some one here on the ranch who 
is interested in the outlaws,” was Mr. Shelton's 
spoken conclusion. 

Is there anyone among the help you might sus- 
pect ? ” inquired Tom. 

Not at this moment,” answered Mr. Shelton. 
‘‘ Since Yuan went away to join, as we think, the 
outlaw band, there has been but one change. I feel 
entire confidence in all, excepting the new man who 
was engaged while you were at Wilde's place.” 

That fellow with the full beard, who wears his 
hat over his face ? ” 

Yes. I do not think he has ever been up on this 
roof. He has no call to come here anyway. He 
225 


226 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


is a good worker, and tends strictly to his task.’^ 

This was cut with some steel instrument. It 
was not broken. It is a sharp, clean cut,'’ commu- 
nicated Fleet, who was engaged in making repairs 
on the apparatus, reinforcing the temporary wire 
they had put in. 

They evidently wanted to put the wireless out 
of commission for some reason,” suggested Chot. 

Say, boys,” said Tom, after Mr. Shelton had 
left them, let’s have a squint at that new man, 
and see what he looks like.” 

“ It is a good idea,” the others agreed. So after 
the evening meal they went out in the corral, and 
without exciting attention, observed what was going 
on. 

“ Hum,” murmured Chot, ‘‘ there he goes now. 
Say, boys, don’t you see something familiar in that 
walk?” 

^‘1 am not sure; what do you think?” asked 
Fleet. 

Mr. Newton Took or I lose my guess.” 

'' I believe you are right, Chot,” put in Tom. 

I am going to make some excuse and have a 
talk with him,” announced Chot. '‘I’ll accident- 
ally knock his hat off, too, and get a better look at 
his face.” 


A NIGHT WATCH 


227 


‘‘ Here, boys,” came a call from the house. 
“ There is a friend of yours who has just arrived 
making inquiries for you.” 

The arrival was none other than Lieutenant 
Thomas, whose coming had been announced by the 
wireless. There was a cordial interchange of words 
of welcome with hearty greetings from the officer. 
He had delayed his coming somewhat by a long rest 
in the middle of the day, preferring to ride in the 
cool of the evening, and desiring to arrive after 
dark. He was not in uniform, and was charged 
with an important mission which he was to com- 
municate to Mr. Shelton. 

By special permission, however, the captain, his 
brother, had agreed that the comrades should be 
included in the conference. Final instructions con- 
cerning a contemplated move were to arrive over 
the wireless that night or the following morning, 
and one of the comrades would be delegated to re- 
ceive and transcribe same. 

Then Fm for keeping watch of the wireless and 
for seeing that nothing happens to it,” said Chot, 
continuing. I am for bunking on the roof to- 
night.” 

‘'Better take turns,” proposed Tom, and so it 
was arranged. Tom was to have the first watch 


228 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


until twelve o’clock, then Fleet until three o’clock 
and Chot the remainder of the night. 

The boys had a long talk with the lieutenant in 
the early evening, and learned of some of the de- 
tails of the plan for the capture and wiping out of 
the outlaw band. The greatest secrecy was en- 
joined, for it was desirable that the bandits them- 
selves should not get advance information concern- 
ing the contemplated move. 

The party, excepting Tom, retired to rest at a 
reasonably early hour. “ I will be of easy call if 
anything is wanted,” said the lieutenant as he went 
to his room. 

Tom sat patiently out his allotted time without 
incident, and as prearranged at twelve o’clock awoke 
Fleet for his turn of duty. 

When Fleet took up the burden of the night 
watch he seated himself on a camp chair. The 
moon was shining, the stars in the northern half 
of the hemisphere were bright, and in their study 
and admiration, he after a time, lost consciousness 
of his immediate surroundings. Later on he walked 
about to rid himself of the drowsiness which he 
found it difficult to overcome. Chot will have a 
dark watch,” he mused. The moon is near dis- 
appearing time and won’t last long. There are 


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HE WAS ATTRACTED BY A MOTION OF THE SHADOW 
Comrades in Neav Mexico. 



A NIGHT WATCH 


229 


clouds which are spreading out to hide the stars.” 

He noted the lengthening stretch of the shadows 
cast by the chimney, and of a sudden noticed some- 
thing else. On one side, the chimney^s shadow was 
irregular, and he was attracted by a motion of the 
shadow, such as might be caused by the raising of 
a man's arm to his face. Assuredly there was 
someone hiding. Whoever it was, had forgotten 
that his bulky form caused a shadow in the moon- 
light. Fleet stood silent for a moment, then re- 
sumed his pacing back and forth, meantime review- 
ing in his mind what was best be done. 

If he should attempt a capture of the person 
evidently present for no good, upon the roof, he 
might be overcome in the struggle, or the culprit 
might escape, his identity unknown. He did not 
wish to call aloud for help, that might be a signal 
for the quick making off of the man he felt sure 
was near at hand. Soon he reached a conclusion. 

He walked sufficiently near the chimney to ac- 
complish the purpose he had in mind, then stretch- 
ing himself and uttering a sleepy yawn, he said, as 
if to himself : 

‘‘What's the use of bothering here, I am going 
to bed.” 

Then slowly he retraced his steps to the entrance 


230 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


of the stairway. Immediately he arrived there he 
sped quickly to the room where Chot and Tom were 
sleeping. 

“ Quick, boys,’' he cried, there is something 
doing.” 

Instantly the two boys were awake and alert. 
Tom had divested himself of his clothing, but Chot 
was ready and with Fleet returned at once to the 
exit upon the roof. 

There they stopped a moment in the dark of the 
doorway to observe if they might, what was going 
on, and indistinctly they made out the figure of a 
man, some instrument in hand, preparing to molest 
the wireless apparatus. 

At a whispered word each removed his shoes 
and then the man’s back being towards them they 
cautiously advanced. Quicker than the telling they 
sprang upon the intruder and sought to bear him 
down. They had not, however, reckoned upon the 
enormous strength of their antagonist. They 
seemed like automatons in his grasp as he threw 
them aside. He was a full bearded man whom 
Chot made out at once to be the Newt. Took of 
unsavory memory way back on the farm. 

Immediately Took had recovered from his mo- 
mentary surprise, he drew from his belt a knife 


A NIGHT WATCH 


231 


intent evidently on an attack, selecting Chot as 
his victim. With a muttered grumble of incoherent 
words, he moved toward him. 

Just at this moment there was a newcomer upon 
the scene. In a clear, determined voice was called 
the words: — 

“ Stand, or I fire.” 

It was Lieutenant Thomas, and the glint of his 
revolver pointed at the heart of the desperado 
caused that individual to instantly halt. 

Now lay down that knife upon the chair beside 
you,” was the next cool, determined order. 

With evident reluctance and slowly under this 
compulsion and command, the knife was deposited. 

“ Fleet, secure the knife,” and then again ad- 
dressing the outlaw, the revolver still in hand, he 
commanded : “Now you, sit down on that chair. 
I propose to look you over to see if you have any 
other weapons upon your person.” 

With this statement the lieutenant handed the 
revolver to Chot, whom he stationed behind the 
chair with orders to snap the trigger if the captive 
made a move. 

The outlaw was a living arsenal, and the lieu- 
tenant counted up of captured knives and revolvers, 
all told, no less than seven. 


232 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


“ Now, boys, we will make more secure our cap- 
tive. One of you bring a lasso or rope, and we 
will bind him secure, until the sheriff can be sum- 
moned.” 

Now for the first time spoke the man. 

I didn’t do nuffin’,” he mumbled. 

‘^And you will be put where you can continue 
the same avocation,” responded the lieutenant. 

“ Sure that is Newt. Took,” commented Fleet. 
“ I would know that voice among a thousand.” 

“ There isn’t the slightest question as to his iden- 
tity now,” assented Chot. 

Took secured, an investigation was made. The 
apparatus had not been harmed. The boys had 
made their attack in the nick of time, for they 
found a sharp wire-cutter and a wrench already 
attached to their precious apparatus and ready for 
destructive work. 

‘‘ Well, our duties are over for to-night,” 
chorused Fleet and Tom. The latter had joined 
the party on the roof. 

I am going to stay by the prisoner,” said Chot. 
** He is too valuable an asset to take any chance of 
losing.” So it was arranged, and early in the morn- 
ing word was sent to the sheriff, who promptly 


A NIGHT WATCH 


235 


came to relieve the ranch of their incumbrance, and 
to carry Took to the lock-up. 

The first blow has fallen, and I hope now,” said 
Mr. Shelton, “that the end of the outlaw camp is 
near at hand.” 

“ You will be rid of one undesirable character for 
a considerable period. He will get free board at 
some local institution for a few months to come. 
That’s quite sure,” was the assuring remark of 
the lieutenant. 


CHAPTER XXVII 


A BOAT ON LAND 

“ How are you going to get down the river, 
lieutenant ? ” asked Chot. They were at breakfast 
the morning following the taking away of the pris- 
oner Took. ‘‘ Will you build a raft? 

We thought of that,’" replied the lieutenant, 
“ but we were afraid if we set out to build a raft 
it would put the bandits on their guard and we want 
to take them by surprise. So the captain sent 
East for a boat that will accommodate a dozen or 
so. I expect it is over at the station now. We 
took the liberty of having it sent in your name, Mr. 
Shelton.” 

Which was perfectly right,” replied that gen- 
tleman. 

Can we go over to the station and get it ? ” 
asked Chot. 

That would be just the thing,” said the lieu- 
tenant, ‘‘ if you think you can manage it.” 

234 


A BOAT ON LAND 


235 


Sure we can/’ asserted Tom. All we will 
need is a pair of mules and the running gear of 
wagon and we will sail here in style. When shall 
we start?” 

“ The sooner the better,” answered the lieutenant. 
** If you come back after dark it will be all the bet- 
ter, and so that no one will see it here I will ar- 
range to have it immediately taken away to the 
cave.” 

The comrades were soon ready for the trip. 
They were given a team of sturdy mules, and on 
the running gear of a wagon, a light spring board 
with a wide seat was mounted. The sky was over- 
cast and dark clouds hid the sun, so that the tem- 
perature was fairly cool and comfortable. 

‘‘ It will be a new experience,” said Fleet, ‘‘ to 
travel over the desert in a boat.” 

“ If any one asks you any questions about the 
boat,” the lieutenant warned them when they rode 
off, “ better give them an evasive answer, if you 
can.” 

Like the Irish valet did? ” asked Tom. 

How was that ? ” 

“His master told him,” replied Tom, “that if 
any one asked any question about him to give them 
an evasive answer. 


236 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

“ ‘ Troth an^ Oi’ll do the same/ replied Pat. 

** The next day when his master returned home 
from an absence Pat said to him : * There was a 
gintlemon here to see you to-day.’ 

‘ Indeed, and what did he say ? ’ 

‘ He said, Is your master at home ? ” and 
shure Oi did as you towled me.’ 

‘ What was that ? ’ 

‘‘ ‘ Oi gave him an evasive answer.’ 

* Indeed, and what did you say to him.’ 

“ ‘ Oi axed was his grandmother a monkey ? ’ ” 

“ I don’t think you need go so far as that,” 
laughed the lieutenant. 

The comrades found the boat at the station at 
Molino del Mesa where its presence had at first 
excited considerable curiosity among the inhabitants 
as to its purpose there in the desert. The com- 
rades expected that they would be overwhelmed 
with questions from the cowboys and others gath- 
ered at the depot, but it turned out that some 
learned citizen had reached the sage conclusion 
that the boat was part and parcel of some novel 
wireless apparatus, and the explanation had satis- 
fied the curious ones. 

“ Wasn’t expecting another flood, was you ? ” 
asked someone jokingly. 


A BOAT ON LAND 


237 


“ Don’t know,” replied Tom. Almost anything 
is likely to happen out here.” 

“ Except rain,” said another. 

“ Just as well to be ready when it does come,” 
replied Tom. 

“ Make a dern good bath tub,” commented an- 
other. 

With the help of the cowboys the boat was 
placed upon the wagon and the boys started on 
their way back. They had gone about two-thirds 
of the way without incident and were just ap- 
proaching a little woods and stream. It was known 
as Indian Well on account of the spring to which 
the Indians in the early days were wont to come. 

“ This is the place where Curly and Pete held 
us up when we first came,” remarked Chot, who 
was driving. 

“ Gee ! ” replied Tom, “ I thought the bandits 
had us for sure. I was scared good and plenty, as 
Curly says.” 

“ That was the beginning,” went on Chot, and 
we have had it pretty lively ever since. But with 
the capture of the outlaw gang things ought to be 
quiet again hereabouts for a while.” 

But you can’t generally most always sometimes 
tell,” observed Fleet sagely. ** Anyway that was a 


238 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


lucky suggestion that someone made about the boat 
being for the 'wireless/ It threw them off the 
track.” 

" I think we had better rest for a while when 
we get to the wood,” said Tom. " It is getting 
to be hotter than pepper and there isn’t a breath of 
air.” 

The wood lay in a hollow through which the lit- 
tle stream now a shallow brook, some fifteen feet 
in width, ran between high banks. In the spring 
when the snow on the mountains was melting it 
was a raging torrent. 

" You will get all the air you want pretty soon,” 
exclaimed Fleet, " if I am not mistaken in the look 
of things.” 

" What do you mean? ” demanded Tom. 

" There is a storm coming,” returned Fleet. 
" Look over there,” indicating a heavy black cloud 
that was rapidly rising in the southwest. 

“ Hope it isn’t going to be another sand storm,” 
ejaculated Tom. 

" Looks like a regular twister,” said Chot. "We 
want to get under cover.” 

" Goodness ! ” exclaimed Tom, looking at it with 
awe. " It’s a grand sight, but I believe it’s a cy- 
clone.” 


:d BOAT ON LAND 


230 


Away to the southwest a funnel-shaped cloud of 
inky blackness rising and falling like a gigantic 
ball was bounding toward them, now seeming to 
sweep along the ground and a moment later soar- 
ing several hundred feet in the air. 

“ Try and get under shelter,’’ proposed Chot. 
“We can drive into the hollow and get the pro- 
tection of the bank beside the stream.” 

As this was clearly the best thing to do, the boys 
quickened the pace of the mules who were now be- 
coming uneasy and drove into the stream clo^e 
under the western bank where it rose the highest. 

They were none too soon for when they stopped 
they could hear the humming of the whirling wind 
and a moment later the air was dark with flying 
sand thick with the fragments of broken trees and 
branches and thunderous with the crash of the 
falling wood. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 


THE STORM 

Crouching in terror beside the shivering mules 
in a darkness like that of night, the comrades 
awaited the passing of the storm. It was but a 
few moments before the air began to grow lighter 
and the noise to die away, though it seemed like 
an age to the boys and it was not for some time 
after the storm was over that they dared to desert 
their place of retreat and look about them. 

Hallo, boys, are you all right ? ’’ called Chot, 
who was the first to recover his self-possession. 

‘‘ Seem to be,’' replied Tom. “ Talk about ex- 
perience, that was terrific. I don’t want any more 
like it.” 

Oh, it might be worse,” said Chot cheerfully. 

‘‘ Suppose we try to get out of here as quick as 
we can,” interrupted Tom. 

Sheltered beneath the bank the chums had not 
felt the force of the wind, which was shown, how- 


240 


THE STORM 


241 


ever, by the way it had uprooted a massive tree and 
in piling up the debris in a sort of gigantic brush 
heap. Over the boys, stretching from bank to bank, 
were interlaced a roof of branches and trunks of 
trees, some of them drooping so low as to almost 
shut them in. About and around the sand had 
been heaped, burying the wagon wheels up to their 
hubs. 

The first thing to do,’’ asserted Chot, “ is to get 
ourselves out, and the next thing is to get the 
mules out.” 

'‘But how?” inquired Tom, looking with some- 
thing of dismay at the barricade that confronted 
them. 

" By main strength and a little ingenuity, I 
guess,” replied Chot. 

Fortunately the tree in falling had made an arch- 
way. Through this, by much twisting and turn- 
ing and pulling and by using the broken branches 
as levers, the comrades were able to make their 
way along under the tangle to the outside. 

" Now for the mules,” said Chot, after a breath- 
ing spell. 

A careful examination of the situation was made 
and a plan determined upon. With much lift- 
ing, prying and pushing, scooping out the sand 


242 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


in one place and rolling a log aside in another, they 
made a way through which they were able to lead 
the mules one at a time from their temporary 
prison. 

It is all very well getting new experiences,’' 
protested Tom, dropping onto a convenient log, 
when they had at last gotten out the mules, “ but 
if I had a choice in the matter I think I would pre- 
fer fighting in the Civil War to much of this.” 

“ You mean the uncivil war, don’t you ? ” laughed 
Chot. “ I guess the atmosphere is getting in its 
work on you.” 

“ There was a little too much atmosphere about 
it this time,” objected Tom. 

“ Are you going to try and bring the boat out 
the same way ? ” asked Fleet. 

It’s not going to be an easy task,” Chot replied, 
“ but it’s up to us to try.” 

Repeated efforts, however, convinced the boys 
that unaided, the boat and the carriage on which 
it rested could not be reclaimed. 

I think,” said Chot, after considering the sit- 
uation for a few moments, “ the best thing to do 
would be to go to the hacienda and get some help 
and come back and dig the boat and the wheels 
out.” 


THE STORM 


243 


“How are you going to get to the hacienda?’’ 
queried Tom. 

“We have got the mules, haven’t we?” asked 
Chot. 

“ Two mules and three of us,” drawled Tom. 
“Though the walking may be good, I am not in 
need of exercise, thank you.” 

“We can take turns riding double,” suggested 
Fleet. 

“ Not any for me,” objected Tom. 

“ What do you propose to do then,” said Chot 
impatiently. 

“ Why not one of us go to the hacienda and get 
what we want,” proposed Tom. “ The others can 
wait here until he gets back.” 

“We might do that,” agreed Chot. “ Let’s draw 
lots.” 

Three leaves of different size were selected, 
which Chot concealed in his hand, the stem only 
showing. “ The smallest goes,” he cried. 

“ Fleet’s elected,” announced Chot, after each had 
selected a stem, and a comparison had been made. 
“ In the meantime, while he is gone, Tom and I 
can be enlarging the hole.” 

“ In the meantime,” said Tom emphatically, “ I 
am going to take it easy.” 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


244 

What do you want from the ranch ? asked 
Fleet, who was now mounted on one of the mules 
and ready to start. 

Shovels, a crow bar or two, and some rope, I 
should say/’ suggested Chot. 

‘‘And don’t forget something to eat,” put in 
Tom. 

Fleet started off, while Chot and Tom set to 
work scooping out more sand and doing what they 
could to remove the barrier which held the boat 
a prisoner. Then after a period, finding that they 
had accomplished all that they could unaided, the 
boys sat down again for an interval of rest. 

“ Let’s take a look about, and see something of 
the effects of the storm,” proposed Chot. 

Acting upon this suggestion the chums made 
their way through the woods, and were surprised 
to observe that the storm’s fierce path of destruc- 
tion was of such meagre limits. Apparently the 
wind cloud which played such havoc in their im- 
mediate vicinity had jumped, if one could so ex- 
press it, from place to place, furiously devouring 
where it hit and leaving between, long stretches 
unscathed. 

Their walk proved most interesting, and after 


THE STORM 


245 


an interval Chot was prompted to look at his 
watch. He found another hour had passed. 

‘‘ Fleet ought to be back with help by this time, 
and he will wonder what has become of us, so 
let’s hurry back,” said Tom. 

This they did, however they were first to arrive 
at the point where the boat was held prisoner. 
Very shortly, however, they were joined by Lieut. 
Thomas, who had brought with him two or three 
men and an extra pair of mules. Fleet had de- 
livered his report and now under the expert man- 
agement of the lieutenant the truck and its burden 
were soon released, 

“ It is quite as well that things turned out as 
they did,” said the officer. “ I shall send the boat 
on now, direct to the cave, so that it will not need 
to go to the ranch at all.” 

Saddle horses had been sent over for Chot and 
Tom, who, with the lieutenant, rode back to the 
ranch. The men who had accompanied the officer 
now taking up the task of transporting the boat 
to its destination. 

Fleet did not forget your requisition for a 
lunch,” said the lieutenant, laughing. He was rid- 
ing beside Tom and handed out a small parcel, the 


246 COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 

contents of which the recipient was soon content- 
edly munching. 

After a late dinner that night the boys were 
sufficiently tired to early seek their sleeping quar- 
ters. The following morning at breakfast they 
were informed of the final arrangements for the 
attack on the bandits' camp, the time for which 
was set for that very night. 

Another visitor arrived during the forenoon at 
the ranch. It was Major Benson, who had ridden 
over for a conference and to tell of the work of 
the bandits in their last raid, some particulars of 
which had been communicated by Nellie over the 
wireless. 

That morning too, was one of unusual excitement 
to the boys. From the fort came word that the 
captain with a band of men was on the way to a 
rendezvous to the mountains near the entrance to 
the cave. Lieutenant Thomas left early to assure 
himself of the delivery of the boat. The program, 
as learned by the boys, was to man the boat with 
a complement of soldiers. There was also to go 
along the sheriff and two aides. An endeavor was 
to be made to reach the outlaw camp by means o£ 
the Lost River route, through the mountains. 

“ Say, but I am disappointed in the arrange- 


THE STORM 


247 


ments,” said Chot. “ I surely hoped to be in at the 
finish/' 

‘‘ Well, you have done far more than your share 
in bringing about a prospective end to our troubles," 
said Mr. Shelton, “ and I guess everybody in this 
vicinity will be most appreciative." 

“ Attacking an outlaw's camp is a soldier's duty," 
interrupted the major. Gad, but I wish I were 
young again, that I might join in the melee my- 
self." 


CHAPTER XXIX 

CONCLUSION 

Acting upon a wise suggestion, although pro- 
testing against the need of so doing, the boys now 
took a few hours of rest to make up for time lost 
the night before and to prepare for any future 
emergency. It was well they did. 

‘‘If you boys want to go part way with me, I 
am off now for the war,’’ was the laughing re- 
mark of Lieutenant Thomas. “ I was delegated to 
look after the horses left by the detachment who 
go on the river trip, but I got the captain, my 
brother, to agree to leave a sergeant to act as home 
guard and take me as a substitute in his place.” 

“ Can’t you prevail upon the captain to take 
us?” asked Chot. 

“ I doubt it. This is serious business, and the 
captain would not feel justified in taking any 
risks.” 


248 


CONCLUSION 


249 


“Well, let's go along as far as the cave. You 
may send back for reinforcements," suggested 
Tom. 

After a “ five o'clock tea," as Fleet called it, the 
boys, who had their mounts ready, started with the 
lieutenant on the ride to the mountain. No in- 
cidents occurred on the trip, and they arrived at 
the entrance to the canyon while the sun was still 
above the horizon. In a grove of trees quite hid- 
den from sight, they found stationed a considerable 
troop, a detachment of cavalry. As the time for 
moving had come a detail of eleven men accom- 
panied the captain and lieutenant up the trail to- 
ward the cave. 

“ We’ll at least see the last of you," announced 
Fleet. 

“ Well, that’s not very encouraging," said the 
lieutenant laughing. “We hope to come back and 
to be accompanied too, by such evident results as 
will justify the trouble we have taken." 

The captain explained as they went along the 
conditions at the outlaw camp. The plateau upon 
which the camp itself was situated, was undoubt- 
edly on American soil. It was absolutely inacces- 
sible except through a trail from the Mexican 
side, and through the Lost River. High on a cliff 


250 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


with a sheer i,ooo feet of nearly perpendicular 
wall protected them from any other approach. 

The Mexicans could easily have put an effective 
stop to the desperadoes’ crimes, but those in au- 
thority were doubtless interested in the profits de- 
rived from their nefarious work. The American 
troops could not make the attacks upon Mexican 
soil, and hence the plans arranged for this night, 
seemed to be the only ones possible. 

The craft which the captain had secured proved 
to be a sizable whale boat. It had been launched 
and was found guarded by two sentinels. 

It’s time the sheriff and his aides were here,” 
complained the captain in an annoyed tone. “ I 
wonder if he expects the United States govern- 
ment to wait for him ? ” 

‘‘ How many will your boat hold ? ” Tom ven- 
tured to inquire. 

“ Fifteen at the most, we have estimated, and 
I have included no heavy weights in the troopers 
selected.” 

“What will you do if the sheriff’s party does 
not come ? ” asked the lieutenant. 

“ That’s easy,” said Chot, “ substitute us.” 

The captain, however, demurred and showed by 
his manner more and more his annoyance. 


CONCLUSION 


251 


Finally the lieutenant suggested to the captain 
the idea of letting the boys go merely, as he said, 
to care for the boat when the troopers landed in 
the outlaw camp.” This, greatly to the satisfaction 
of the comrades, was the arrangement finally made. 

Loaded pretty well to the gunwales was the whale 
boat when it started on its darksome mission. 
But lights and lanterns were carried, which re- 
vealed the hidden beauties of the stalactite walls. 
It was not really so dark as one might expect. 
Every particle of rock seemed to glitter, to mag- 
nify and increase the light. Their progress down 
the stream proved uneventful. Slowly they drifted 
along, noiselessly without the use of oars, still 
making fair progress. 

When they came to the point where Chot and 
Tom had made their landing on the eventful day 
of the earthquake, the shore was readily made out, 
also the cavity through which they had made their 
escape. Soon thereafter the captain determined 
that they were nearing their destination. All lights 
were extinguished, absolute silence enjoined. 

It was well beyond the middle of the night by 
the captain’s watch when the first glint of a star 
was made out by the eager adventurers. This must 
indicate, they determined, the opening to the out- 


252 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


side world; doubtless the bandits’ camp was near 
at hand. By the use of two oars, the direction 
taken by the boat was controlled, and although the 
night was dark, the sky partly overcast, the landing- 
place used by the bandits was easily made out and 
was readily approached. 

As arranged, the comrades were to man the boat 
and hold it with the oars or other means, to the 
shore. The soldiers, led by their officers, crept 
slowly toward the bandits’ bungalow. This, the 
boys could see in the dull light. Evidently so safe 
was the camp considered, no sentinel was on duty. 

The boys were told afterwards how the round- 
up was effected. A man or more was stationed at 
every window, and when all were in place, the 
captain’s call to surrender rang out on the stillness 
of the night. Immediately there was wild commo- 
tion within. From the many bunks and cots forms 
rose up, and each saw the glitter of a musket 
thrust into his face. 

“ Hands up,” was the call, a command no one 
dared deny. 

“ Who says so ? ” grumbled one of the captured 
ones. 

‘‘An officer of the American Army,” was the 
reply. 


CONCLUSION 


253 


** Now march out, one at a time/’ was the next 
order, given in a clarion voice. 

It’s all up, I’m thinking,” said someone gruffly. 

As each man passed through the door, he was 
taken in Rand, relieved of his weapons and his 
hands tied behind his back. 

“ I wish we dared to get closer and see what 
was going on,” said Chot. 

It wouldn’t be fair,” responded Fleet, after 
the captain so graciously permitted us to come. In 
the army you know, obedience is expected, and 
we were ordered to stay here.” 

I suppose you are right,” responded Chot in an 
aggrieved tone. 

“ Say,” said Tom in a whisper. “ What is that 
moving in the bushes yonder ? ” 

Instantly the eyes of the others were turned in 
the direction indicated by Tom. 

There is someone trying to escape, that’s sure, 
and he is coming this way.” 

No further words were spoken, all were intent 
in observing the movements of the man whom they 
had detected. 

They now made out that there were two, and 
unobserved as the boys were themselves, they 
could see that the men were making for the river 


254 


COMRADES IN NEW MEXICO 


but directing their steps to a place twenty or more 
feet beyond the point where lay their boat. 

There is another boat there,” whispered Chot. 

They are attempting to escape. We must stop 
them.” 

Hardly had he spoken these words when the two 
men were seen jumping into the little skiff. 

“ Stop, or I fire,” shouted Chot. He had no gun, 
and he doubted whether the men could see him, 
but the mere fact that they were discovered pre- 
vented further effort to get away, on the part of 
the detected bandits. 

Now was heard the steps of the lieutenant and 
some of the men running in their ‘direction, and the 
boys had the satisfaction of learning that the two 
men who were trying to slip away were none other 
than the bandit chief Valdez and his outlaw com- 
panion Juan. 

“Well,” said the captain a few moments later, 
“ it was a happy outcome. Not a shot fired, and 
every rascal rounded-up.” 

The night's work of course was not finished. 
The prisoners had to be carried a few at a time 
back through the Lost River and turned over to 
the sheriff. This individual had, however, lost any 
chance of glory through his dilatoriness and fail- 


CONCLUSION 


255 


ure to arrive at the appointed place on time. But 
the comrades naturally had no complaint to make 
on that score, but they forego adding to the sheriff’s 
discomfort by thanking him, as they felt disposed 
to do, for being late. 

And so our story ends, and until we meet, if it 
be our good fortune, upon the Great Divide, we say 
good-bye. 


THE END. 






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